PRICE CONTROL ABANDONED.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 16 March 1927, Page 2

PRICE CONTROL ABANDONED.

Press Association.)'

MR GROUNDS THREATENS SOME REVELATIONS.

(Per

WELLINGTON MarcK15. The New Zealand Dairy Producers' Export Control Board to-day decided by six votes to three to rescind all resolutions dealing With the fixing of prices. The Board at its special meetings on Saturday and Monday fully considered the existing marketing positiori of but--ter and cheese, and, as the outcome resolutions were passed freeing importers from named prices and requiring them to sell weekly 90,000 cases of hutter and 40,000 crates of cheese, to care for arrivals, and ahsorb accumulated stocks by the end of May in the case of cheese and the end of June in the case of butter. The re4striction§ upon the weekly quantity to be sold is designed to prevent speculative absorption of the whole quantity now available at low price levels to the disadvantage of the producer. In the course of his statement regarding the Dairy Control Board's difficulties, Mr Grounds referred to the divided counsels of the London .jagency and the dissension created by the Government representative thereon, with his definite opposition to instrUctions of the Board to apply its policy. This, Mr Grounds said, was gravely accehtuated when .the Premier, visiting London, by enicouragement' given to. the belief. that "something would he done," by the Government. The hope of influencing the Government invited an intensiflcation of the trade opposition. "On that pont," said Mr Grounds, "I would pemark that the full story of the intrigue in London at the time of the Premier's visit may yet have to be told." When this matter was referred to Mr CoateSi he said it could be assumed that Mr Patterson, in his capacity as the Government representative "foresaw whaF he considered the danger that the Board was likely to be faced with. "I take it, from his own observation concerning the almost complete hostility on the part oLthe trade to any system of price-fixing, that at the eleventh hour he stated the position as he ! saw it, and asked the Board to reconsider its definite policy before bringing it; into actual operation. The Board- in its judgment, decided to proceed with the policy. laid down. Since that time I am not aware that Mr Patterson has done other than use his efforts to assist in the sale of New Zealand dairy produce. My alctions in London were aimed wholly at smoothing out difficulties, with the ob j act of bringing about a better feeling and understanding."