DAIRY CONTROL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 513, 22 April 1933, Page 4

DAIRY CONTROL

One of President Wilson's sayings during the Great War was that its object was to make the world safe for democracy. His view was that tjie more or less absolute rule of the Emperors of Russia, Germany and Austria shonld be broken and that democracy, rule by the people, would take its place. ' His hope has not been fulfilled and dictators are firmly established in Russia, Germany, Italy and Turkey, while all over the world people are anxiously asking whether democratic government, as we know it, is capable of dealing efficiently with our present difficulties. It need therefore cause no surprise that many of those interested in the dairy industry, which is so hard hit by falling prices, should similarly be inquiring whether the difficulties met with could be met by some new form of control. At the present- Hme it may be roughly said that the dairy industry in this country is democratically controlled. Each factory has a board of directors chosen by the suppliers from their own number, and these boards manage the business of the factory, appointing the manager and staff, supervising the methods of production and arranging for the sale of the fmished produce. There are also some privately owned factories and one large "company which controls a number of dairy factories. The directors of the dairy factories elect the Dairy Produce Board which supervises shipment of dairy produce, its handling in Britain and also cari ries out advertising in that coun- ' try. It has no power to direct or • control the management of af- ! fairs in the separate dairy fac- ! tories. Other bodies interested in j the industry are the National i Dairy Association, the Dairy Division of the Agricultural Department, and the Dairy Research Institute at Palmerston North. The first of these holds an annual conference at which matters of interest to the industry are considered and recommendations for improved methods of production or marketing are passed, but have no definite authority. The Dairy Division provides the graders, also a number of inspectors whose duty it is to see that Government regulations are obeyed and carries out a good deal of practical work in connection with the industry, for example giving advice when the workers in factories find unexpected difficulties • arising in manufacture. The Research Institute is supported by the Government, the Dairy Produce Board and the Empire Marketing Board and concerns itself with the more scientific side of the industry rather than its immediate practical wof k. It assists in the' scientific training of factory managers and assistants. The question raised at present is ^whether the control as outlined above can be improved, whether for example one autocrat should be appointed whose word should be final as to methods of production and similar matters. Some consider that this head should be the chief officer of the Dairy Division. The chief objection to this is that such an official is directed by Ministers who are constantly changing and often ignorant of the needs of the industry. The Minister, before approving regulations, has to consider whether they will be popular and gain votes for his party or lose them'. The experience some years ago, when new dairy regiilations raised an outcry5;ahd had to be withdrawn/.'has made Ministers slow to ' act uhtil sure of the almost unanimous support •of !the dairy industry1. Another possibility; * jss that the " 3Daif # Board should control the industry; but the're is a' doubt whether tfie mehib'ers have 'ihe tfaihmg requifed to* fit them for such 'a position. Cohtinuity of policy is essential and it is possible- with an eiective body that this may' n'ot Ve sdcuTed/'^h^ 'prbblem' 'is

therefore not a sifriple one and no solution is obviousV'The'main necessity at present is for those ifiterested to' gtasp* the position aiid form a definite o^ihiOn as to the best* * cour se to ' adopt ." ' ' " *