Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1931, Page 4

Strenuous opposition is offered the Honey Local Marketing Board Bill by tlie Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand, which considers that the passing of the measure would add the rulri of the domestic honey market to the ruin of the overseas market, The secretary of the association stated that the opinion of the association was that tlie method in the Bill, introduced by Mr W. J. Jordan, which aimed at taking complete control of the honey produced in New Zealand and marketing it through one channel, would have the effect of forcing u.p> the price of honey to the consumer to the advantage of the producer. If the scheme were successful it would be against the public interest, and could succeed only at the expense of the gene, ral consuming public. In the opinion of the association, however, the scheme could not succeed and could only result in disaster for all concerned. The control system had been tried in many different countries and in connection with many different products, but in spite of almost unlimited capital and in some cases Government support, it had succeeded in no single instance. The first essential to even partial control of price was standardisation of quality, and that was impracticable in the case of New Zealand honey. Blending and packing under uniform brands would without doubt lower the quality rather than raise it. The Bill, it was stated, would also have the effect of destroying partially or completely the credit oi the honey producer, as the surrendering of his honey to the board would immediately depreciate any security which lie had to offer for funds necessary to carry on his business, bringing about ft cottsecjtieitt tendency to reduced father than iticreased production, Hairy ,produce control had gone, a long way toward destroying the goodwill of New Zealand dairy produce in the British mar, kets at a time when the fostering of that goodwill should have been the chief care of the Dominion, and the effects of that disastrous experiment would continue to be, felt for many years to come. The various efforts at control in whatever country had failed mainly because of (1) resistance to exploitation by the consumer, and (2) inexperience, incompetence, extravagance and mismanagement on the part .of those directing the enterprise. The heard to be set un under the socialistic Bill of Mr Jordan would have to he possessed of greater business acumen than had ever been displayed by rim-, ilar hoards the world over if it succeeded in applying the principle of control to tlie marketing of produce.