DAIRY BOARD CONSTITUTION

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 60, 2 June 1927, Page 13

DAIRY BOARD CONSTITUTION

INDUSTRY STRANGLED BY GOVERNMENT”— PRODUCERS’ RIGHTS

Press Association. DUNEDIN, Wednesday. i THE constitution of the Dairy Produce Control Board was recently condemned at the annual meeting of the South Island Dairy Association, and to-day Mr. W. Young (Drummond) gave the criticism a concrete form when he moved the following resolution: “That in the event of any alteration being made in the Dairy Produce Control Act, provision be made that the board shall be made up only of producer members.” The speaker said their industry had been strangled by the Government, in putting members on the board who were not directly interested in the industry. The commercial interests said that they had the interests of the dairy farmer at heart; but it was only to the extent of bleeding them for all they were worth. Mr. T. Mould said that all the dairy industry w anted was the right to conduct its own business, and he wanted to know r why the Government did not let them do it. They all knew that one representative of the Government on the board had been the cause of the whole of the depression that existed in New Zealand to-day. A Voice: Bunkum! Mr. Mould said that bunkum or no bunkum, his was a hard fact. This resolution was not confined to the South Island alone. A similar resolution had been placed in the North Island in more than one place. Mr. Stalker supported the motion. Mr. W. Lee (Goodwood 1 said that he was opposed to the resolution. He thought the Meat Board, for instance, had done good work. Mr. Ruttledge said he did not think they had known that the Government w'as going to impose a Government representative on them. It was a reflection on their intelligence that these representatives had been placed on the board. He hoped that the conference would not hesitate to support the. resolution, and that they would not allow any back-door influence to be introduced to impose outside people on the board. If they did not stand shoulder to shoulder they were going to be a laughing stock, not onlv of New r Zealand, but of the civilised w"orld. They had had the Press against them right through, and propaganda had been introduced into the Press by outsiders. They must work without the assistance of the newspapers, and they must realise what the fight put up against them by the financial interests meant. The dairy farmers would put money into their own pockets not obtained by the financial interests (Applause.) The motion was carried unanimously amidst applause.

SUPPORT FOR BOARD

“INDUSTRY’S SHEET-ANCHOR” Press Association T EILDING, Wednesday. Speaking- at a luncheon given in honour of the Minister of Education, the Hon. B. A. Wright, to-day, Mr. J. G. Eliott. M.P., upheld the ' Dairy Control Board, which he described as the sheet-anchor of the dairy industry. L proar was caused by vested interest** He urged dairy farmers to stick to the board. The Minister referred to the Dairy Board’s procedure as a subject on which the Government had been unjustly blamed. He was glad to notice that Mr. Goodfellow had publicly exonerated the Government from any blame for any mistakes made.

MEMBERS FROM LONDON

NO STATEMENT Press Association. WELLINGTON, "Wednesday. Messrs. W. lorns and W. Motion, members of the Dairy Produce Board, who were appointed to act for the board on its London agency, returned by the Corinthic to-day. Neither would discuss the question of control.