BUTTER MARKET

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 526, 9 May 1933, Page 5

BUTTER MARKET

(Press Assn.

RESTRICTION ISSUE MR. DYNES FULTON CRITICISES MR. COATES' RECENT STATEMENT "CAME AS BOMBSHELL"

— By Telegraph — Copyright).

Hamilton, Monday. In an interview to-day, Mr. Dynes Fultoh, chairman of the N.Z. Co-op. Dairy Coy., expressed strong resentment at the recent statement issued by the Minister of Finance (R,t. Hon. J. G. Coates) in which he suggested. that restric- | tion of butter exports miglit pre- | sent a way out of the present diffi- | culties. Mr. Fulton stated that the | position had been fully discusSed ! with Mr. Coates who had then been in favour of the board's attitude j and he was at a loss to account for j his sudden change of attitude. i Mr. Fulton said that the article j came a very great surprise to him, i as the matter had been fully discussed j in Wellington by the Dairy Produce Board, after which the full board met j Mr. Coates and the Hon. C. E. Mac- | millan and reviewed the whole posi- j tion from the commencement. It was pointed out that the, board j had not wavered in its deeision as re- i gards restriction of exports and also j that hundreds of letters and telegrams had been receiv.ed" from dairy companies supporting the board in the attitude they had tak'en up>, finally concluding hy indicating to Mr. Coates that in their opinion the ques>tion of restrictions Avas finished. Therefore, said Mr. Fulton, it came as a great bombshell to see this article. • 1 :

Mr. Fulton said they discussed with Mr. Coates the many points which he published in his article but he could not see that any good purpose would be served hy their puhlication. Restriction Rejected "The industry has rejected restrictions in view of the agreement made at Ottawa, which Mr. Coates has set out' in his letter," said Mr. Fulton. "Australia has also rejected restrictions, notwithstanding the fact that it would not have affected them to any thing like the extent that New Zealand producers would he affected, but on principle they considered it was wrong and there was a possibility of establishing a precedent that might later be brought into effect on all other exports from Australia and from New Zealand. In view of the deeision reached and the fact that everything has gone along quite favourably since then — the butter market at Home has risen by approximately 8s per cwt — oue just wonders why Mr. Coates came out with this state-

ment at this particular time. "He is fully conversant with all requests that were made and has discussed the position with the dairy board on numerous occasions; and if this was his opinion during the whold of the discussion on restrictions, surely one would liave expected he would have made the statement prior to the New Zealand delegation leaving for Australia, and let the public know exactly where he stood. "I contend," said Mr. Fulton, "that this puhlication may be the means of a further agitation hy those who are •in favour of restrictions and I feel confident that the producers will just as strenuously resent interference hy the Government in an important industry that it is obvious they know nothing about. Quality of Cheese • "Mr. Coates ha§ made a scathing comment in referenee to our cheese quality and whilst I am of the opinion that our cheese -is not as bad as has been stated, nevertheless, we 'are quite conversant with the position and everything possible is heing done to improve our quality and had the Government given the support that we have asked for year by year, in the way of dairy farm instruction, our cheese would probably stand higher on the British' market than it does to-day. In any case the publishing of such a statement does not help the producer any," added Mr. Fulton. "If Mr. Coates can forecast the future or what is going to take place after the expiration of the Ottawa agreement, and he can foresee restrictions of dairy produce, why, as Minister of Finance, is he proeeeding with his small farm scheme, opening up further lands for settlement and generally carrying out the policy of increasing production as established prior to any thought of restrictions? It is not sufficient for Mr. Coates to make a statement favouring restrictions of export of dairy produce without letting the country know what amendments he propos.es to make in the policy of development to meet the altered conditions." Mr. Fulton concluded his remarlcs by saying that he regretted the necessity of having to speak in this way, but in view of the past interference, he was satisfied that in future the producers would have to take a greater interest in their owr affairs to save this Dominion from ; destruction .as we were a producing country and everything depended on it.