DAIRY BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1929, Page 5

DAIRY BOARD

STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN. .v 1 -'¥#4’ , .. . ; " .'

BUTTER AND CHEESE CONTRACTS

(Bv Telegraph—Press Association).

WELLINGTON, Aug. 27.

Mr lorns (Chairman of the Dairy Board) interviewed to-day, made a statement in regard to the resolution of faltoiy directors at a- meeting at Invercargill, that the Board had laid itself open to strong condemnation for sanctioning proposed contracts for the sale of cheese and butter, and asking the Board to withdraw, it.

He traced the developments in the dairy industry 'during the past forty years. It was interesting to note,- he 'said, that the newly appointed Secretary to. the South Island Association had inade a statement to the effect that the-finest grade was brought in at the request of the Board: r This, of course, was quite incorrect, as the industry, both ihj the North and South 1 slands, had been recommending the Dairy'Division to adopt the finest grade long .before the Board came into existence.;' ■ ’ 1 ■

Alterations ,in gi'ades, and the necessity for a change of regulations relative to the manufacture of standardised cheese, made it necessary to alter the condition of selling contracts, said Mr lorns. The coriditioris 'set out in vie standard contract were those which had been adopted by factories for the: past; two seasons. /

There were 400,C00 boxes of butter to be shipped to Canada from August to March of the coming' seaton, viz. finest grade, with a reduction of ’ a farthing per pound for first grade. This quantity of 400,000 boxes was more tuan double the total quantity of butter shipped from the South Island for the whole season. c .' .

The Board agreed that the butter contract was a fair one; but decided to give further consideration to thb cheese LOiitrrict. ; , • ”

• / The .suggested , standard of • the cheese contract. had not yet been- dealt with.; Statements ; had- . been made fti the South, that; the-object of exporters was to get the approval ,of the Board to contracts, to'eriable them to combine arid force contracts on to the factories. l ' v-• 1

' Statements of this' kind were of course made without giving any careful consideration-‘to them. -Those re* sponsible: for .such statements lyould not for a moment admit .’that New Zealand Marketing Association would be found forcing unfair bemditioris bn members,’ and with' one. big buyer outisde what would become of the suggested combination of buyers.

Again, if a o'rjpibiiriritiori on -the' part of ekporters. ivas/the objective, why'.did they not combine when South Island representatives /agreed to the terms of the exporters'! at Palmerston North some' years. ago, .../;../',