BACON INDUSTRY.

Shannon News, 29 August 1922, Page 3

BACON INDUSTRY.

THE PROJECTED POOL, COMPANIES AND PRODUCERS CONFER. Well over 100 delegates were in attendance at Palmerston on Thursday

afternoon at a conference of dairy farmers called by the Dairy Farmers’ Union to consider the question of takink steps to form a bacon pool for the North Island of New Zealand. Mr P. J. Small, president’ of the Union, was in the chair. Five bacon factories and 14 dairy factories were represented at the meeting, besides numerous farmers.

In the course of a. short address, the chaii'man said that surplus stocks and keen competition had kept the prices so low that it had not paid the dairymen to rear pigs. Dairymen did not want an exorbitant price, but

they wanted a fair thing—something commensurate with the cost of production. It was also necessary to stabilise the market. Mr Barron pointed out that this year it was estimated that 380,000 pigs were held in New Zealand —an increase of 50 per cent over last year, and more than 120,000 more than the previous year. This should give no cause for alarm providing the farmers and companies would only pull together. That there were possibilities in the way of an export trade was seen in the fact that last year Denmark exported £16,000,000 worth or. bacon to England. Practically the whole of the Wairarapa producers were in sympathy with the project.

- Mr A. Montgomerie moved that a farmers’ committee be set up, consisting of two representatives of the Wellington district, two of Hawke’6 Bay, and two of Wairarapa.

In a heated discussion following, it was stated that the last committee had achieved nothing.

Mr Broadbelt, who was a member of the committee, asserted that the farmers had not stuck together. An extra farthing a pound bought them off every time. Nothing could be done until the farmers were unanimously agreed and were prepared to stick by the arrangements made for marketing the produce.

COMMITTEE ELECTED

An amendment was then moved by

Mr W. S. Carter: ‘‘That owing to the fact that the Dairy Farmers’ Union stands absolutely pledged to co-op-eration, the committee to be formed be the executive of the Dairy Farmers’ Union, with power to add.” The amendment was carried unanimously, and a farther resolution was carried, on the motion of Mr Bickers, That representatives of various districts be added to the committee. The following were elected accordingly: Messrs. W. Croucher (Rongotea), W. Carter (Palmerston), Bickers (Makino), G. Wagstaff (Pohangina), R. Dalziell (Rata), Lawson (Mangamaire), and Lorigan (Norsewood).

On tlie motion .of Mr Croucher. votes of thanks were passed to the Dairy Farmers’ Union, which he described as a “very live body,” lor (having called tbe conference together, and to the bacon company representatives for their attendance.

Subsequently, Mr Fraser, general manager of the Meat Control Board, who arrived by train too late for the conference, met. the executive in the office of the secretary of the Dairy Farmers’ Union.