THE PREMIER AND "CONTROL."

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 85, 11 April 1927, Page 6

THE PREMIER AND "CONTROL."

The Prime Minister has been wi>e in replying at length to the statement by tho chairman of the Dairy Control Board, charging him with bias in respect ot the board's policy. There has been a good deal of angry criticism of the Government, and no doubt nianv pro-

clueevs and non-producers have boon impressed by the talk about its prejudiced iiitorfon-nco with the board. Mr. Contes says that so far from having acted in London on Mr. Stronach Paterson's guidance, without any proper invest ipration, as Mr. orounds alleged, he -went to England with an unprejudiced mind and made careful inquiries <if his own among all classes interested in tin; butter problem. Wherever lie went he found opposition to price-fixing and ho deemed it his duty to intervene with information and advice. There are two points of special interest in these observations by.Mr. Ooatos. He found that hostility was by no means confined to those who might be regarded as "disgruntled speculators."' The more violent supporters of the Hoard's policy have insisted that opposition to "control" is confined to interested merchants and a manipulated Press. Mr. Contes also found that price-fixing was causing anxiety in "financial circles, , ' and it is clear from the context that he refers to the world which supplies New Zealand with its loan money. It is quite natural that the bii: financial houses in London should watch closely a policy that affects the marketing <>f one of New Zealand's staple products. The main point about Mr. Coate.s , statement, however, is that he, the Prime Minister, made careful inquiries in London on his own responsibility, and came to the very definite conclusion that price-fixing was a mistake. Mr. Coates is the head of the Government that set up the Dairy Board and gave it its wide powers. A farmer himself, he sympathises with farmers. As he made plain in London, he is not antagonistic to the board, but only to certain of its methods. After this statement there should be less recklessness in criticism of the (ioveni_Mat's recent ijl'itU'h' to the board.