OPPOSITION TO PLAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 259, 2 November 1933, Page 16

OPPOSITION TO PLAN.

QUESTIONS IK PARLIAMENT. MINISTER TO INVESTIGATE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A question whether the Government is aware that the Dairy Produce Board is proposing to adopt a policy of limiting by license the British firms engaged in the disposal of New Zealand butter and cheese, was asked, in the House of Representatives to-day by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Independent, Egmont). Mr. Wilkinson also asked whether the Government was aware that the suggestion of such a policy had caused grave dissatisfaction among dairy farmers, who remembered the losses they had suffered when a previous attempt had been made to impose impossible conditions on those engaged in the disposal of the Dominion's dairy produce. He further asked what action was being taken on this policy by the Government nominees on the Dairy Produce Board—if they were supporting the limitation policy and were they reflecting the policy of the Government in the matter. Mr. Wilkinson asked if the Government would cause the board to hold the proposed policy in. abeyance until those who desired to maintain the freedom to dispose of dairy produce had had an opportunity to consider the subject further, and, if necessary, make representations on the matter.

Prime Minister's Reply. The Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, said the Government was aware of the 'board's proposal, which was the outcome of representations made to the board by the New Zealand Dairy Produce Importers' Association of the ; United Kingdom. These representations had included the suggestion that the board, in consultation with the association, 6hould issue licenses to importers. The Government was also aware that some objection had been raised to the board's proposal. The Government nominees on the board had acted in accordance with their personal judgment. The Minister of Agriculture had already arranged to look further into the matter, and the board was not likely to take definite action until the Minister had adopted this course. An urgent question had been, asked earlier by Mr. A. J. Murdoch (Coalition United. Marsdeh). Mr. Murdoch asked the Minister whether he would withhold his approval of the Dairy Board's marketing proposals until they had been submitted to the dairy companies throughout the Dominion, and he said that 08 factories, representing an annual output of approximately 30,000 tons of butt6r -and 10,000 tons of cheese, had already expressed opposition to the assumption of arbitrary powers by the board. "These marketing proposals are definitely a matter for the Dairy Board, and I understand that the board intends to handle them very carefully and will not attempt to act with undue haste," said the Minister. "In view, however, of the representations which have been made of late regarding them, I propose to take an early opportunity of looking into the question."