The Sun FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1928. THE MILK TURNS SOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 363, 25 May 1928, Page 8

The Sun FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1928. THE MILK TURNS SOUR

IT might be saicl almost literally that in the administrative business of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Export Board the milk has curdled in the heat of temper. The board’s chairman, Mr. W. Grounds, has been shaken roughly for his wilful policy of pungent criticism in the board’s official journal and one of the most prominent members, Mr. W. Goodfellow, sharply resenting comment affecting the trading policy of his company, the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited—the greatest organisation of its kind in the world—has deemed it wise to resign abruptly and walk out from the board’s latest meeting, throwing over his shoulder as he went a confession of disgust. The quarrel is not a pretty one. It discloses a ferment of individualism that is little short of being a disgrace to men of affairs, claiming a high sense of responsibility and a higher standard of business ability. If this kind of stir be continued it cannot fail to do grievous harm to the Dominion’s main industry. For such a disagreeable and an intolerable state of affairs there is only one drastic remedy; this is the cure that used to he advocated so tersely for every administrative ill by the late Admiral “Jack” Fisher: “Sack the lot!” Of course, it has become a bad rule nowadays that when administrators fall out the public comes into a full knowledge of the defects and extravagance of administration. This is apparent in the Dairy Board dispute to a disquieting degree. It certainly is made to appear much worse than even the most irreconcilable opponents of the board could have anticipated. On the testimony of Mr. Goodfellow, practically a foundation member of the board, and a'man who keeps his eyes wide open to every movement in business, it is asserted bluntly that “the board, as at present constituted, represented sectional interests, wasted a great deal_ of time and was, in short, an utter farce.” This criticism may yet he proved to have been harsh —there will be the other side to the story, of course-—but it lias to be observed at the moment that Mr. Goodfellow’s blistering condemnation of the hoard and its expensive service was not the product of impulse or peevish temper. On his own confession it was merely the bursting of the dam of disgust. He has explained that his position had been intolerable for months and that, but for his duty to protect the interests of the numerous co-operative dairy companies he represented, he certainly would have resigned some time since. If it be true that the hoard merely wastes time and is, in short, an utter farce, the cost of the futile comedy is much too great to be tolerated any longer by the dairy-farmers who do not gather money like mushrooms, but have to sweat for it every day, and wrestle with many adverse economic conditions. They have to find some £> 60,000 a year for the maintenance of the so-called farce. This obviously is a stupid luxury. It would be better to spend the money on herd-testing or on the importation of pedigree bulls.

No doubt, the chairman of the hoard will defend its policy and its value to the dairy farmer. He has at least a serious case to answer. The board lias had more kicks than ha’pence as its reward, but unless it can he shown that its work is something more than an extravagent pretence, it must expect a final kick into unhonoured oblivion. The response to the indictment will be awaited with interest.

THE CITY TRENCH SYSTEM

THOSE citizens who, after long years’ experience, have failed I to become used to our continuous system of street excavation and still depart from drawing-room language every time they have to leap a trench or walk around a barrier, are promised lessened irritation. Conferences between representatives of the City Council, the Post and Telegraph Department, ElectricPower Board and the Auckland Gas Company have resulted in an agreement whereby these authorities shall not set their “troops” to work haphazard at digging trenches, but shall consult with each other before they delve. There is, therefore, some hope that Auckland may soon cease to give visitors the impression of a beleaguered city. There are many citizens, however, who may miss the innumerable obstacles that provide their morning and evening gymnastics, and who, conservatively disliking changes, and fuming at being deprived of rails, earth banks and trenches, as adjuncts to agility, may take to leaping fences and running around moving tramcars for exercise. This may lead to all .kinds of complications, including a swollen charge sheet at the Police Court and further tax on the accommodation of an already over-crowded hospital. In departing thus suddenly from the established practice have the authorities considered the new dangers involved by their changed policy? It has been the practice in the past to lay down a new concrete surface on a road-way, or a new asphalt surface on a footpath, without very much concern about future disturbance. Then another authority digs up what was laid down, buries something underground, and once again a patch is placed atop. Another authority digs another trench and buries something else which is covered over. Then a fourth authority rips the surface, and so on, until there is very little of the original surface left. This system has three advantages: (1) It provides extra employment. (2) It gives Ihe unemployed something to look at. (3) It gives exercise to citizens who might otherwise become prematurely adipose. Still, this is a modern and progressfVe city, and we must move with the times. In future there is to be co-ordination and each local authority will know when the other is going to dig and what it is going to dig for; then all, possibly, may dig together.