EXPORT OF HONEY

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1933, Page 7

EXPORT OF HONEY

•' • ;•' X " ■' i*! ’... ■ :<* . •*'' '■. t .. . ; AvCONTPOL OPPOSED.; 1 , •: • , 'INVESTIGATION; ASKED FOR. ... " ; • • ■ .•> J • WELLINGTON,' March 6. i' 'A •; protest' against the ,■ assumption;on, Wednesday by -the; Honey. Control Board of absolute ofliltrol trf at] Honey - exported t<3 -Gli'ept Britain and Europe ha B . been ‘‘ made ' by; the . Associated Chambers of Commerce, • which h’e. asked the Government to niak e an in. destination; into ‘the - affair# "• of the board, The secretary of the association said > to-day -that h!'s '< body had communicated with ,th e Minister for Agriculture urging-that the... Efteumptioh of control be stayed, pending .an investigation ‘by, . the .Government into the operations of the- board and its associates, and -the publication of the results of that investigation. There had • been much criticism . of the - marketing method,* of the. board and of; the serious restrictions'imposed by-the ‘hoard, on .exports' tp. the United Kingdom independent of' the '..board. The 'authority of ' the bond: for _ assuming absolute control was challenged, it being contended that no mandate . had been 'given, by the ; majority 'of ‘producers, the approval of th; 9 National

Association being regarded as insufficient., ‘ • .0 • •••' • ' ■

The association says that, as a result of the • monopoly enjoyed by the. Honey Control Board in the export of li-mey to Great Britain and Europe, producers'have no option but,to 'accept whatever return is . provided by the hoard, and are therefore denied the benefit of open competition.- It- draws' attention to the fact -that, according to report number' 50 of the Elmpire Ma-keting’ Board," published in May last, New Zealand honey was retailing in the United -Kingdom in one pound glass jars at prices ' ranging from Is 4d to Is'6J. wliilfe producers were receiving only as high at 2-Jd a pound, f.o.bi; in, bulk,? : '•' ‘ ; The association -suggests that the Honey Control Board is absorbing an undilly heavy margin at the expanse- of producers, and it is suggested that tlnVmay be due to incompetency and m ism an agei nent by the board. Attention is also drawn by the association .to what"jt'consider? to be the neco-sity for an investigation into the affairs of, the New Zealand Cooperative Honey. Producers’ Association, Limited, which. it is stated, was do'i-lv bound r.p 'with 'the Honey Control Board before it was forced to go into liquidation. The association explains that it is not. opposed: to the J-Tonev Control Board if 'it is a voluntary bo-.lv desired by the producers, but i’9 desirous; of .securing freedom tor er.n'-,- f -e”g from any control by the board.