DAIRY CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 271, 15 November 1934, Page 9

DAIRY CONTROL.

ALTERNATIVE PLAN.

FARMERS' UNION PROPOSAL

GUARANTEED MINIMUM PRICE

Proposals for the rehabilitation of the dairying industry alternative to the scheme propounded in the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Act were unanimously approved last night by the conference of the Auckland provincial branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. The union's propositions, which were flamed by a special sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. J. H. Furniss, A. B. Moore and Kl Feisst, are as follow: — " The Dairy Produce Board should consist of at iea*t 75 per cent of representatives elected by the industry, the balance to be Government representatives. This would provide an assurance that the taxpayers' interest would be adequately represented. We agree ae to the necessity for an executive body to co-ordinate the interests of the various produce boards and to act in an advisory capacity to the Government, the members of which executive should bo composed of one elected representative from eacli board, with a chairman appointed by the Government. Organisation and "marketing relating to each industry should be undertaken by its representative board, the function of the advisory executive to he chiefly concerned with co-ordinating search for overseas markets and transport, and exercising such powers as are delegated by the various boards, but in case of disagreement, the executive should have the right to decide. Long-Term Plan. "An essential first stop in any longterm plan i 3 a reduction in the cost of production insofar as this is bciiijr artificially maintained. We therefore recommend; —

"(1) Import duties on necessities be further scaled down with a view to concluding a favourable reciprocal trading agreement with the Homeland.

"(2) The present incidence of rural road rating being demonstrably unfair, a system under which the user of the roads shall pay be substituted. (This can best be given immediate effect to by the use of all motor taxation for road purposes, the amount so derived to be used for the immediate relief of the ratepayers).

"(3) The present system of hospital rating being inequitable, in that it imposes an undue burden on the rural dweller, it should be discontinued, and the necessary, funds should be derived from national taxation. Mortgage Problem. "(4) A comprehensive plan be developed for dealing with the mortgage position, both in- its immediate problems and in the long-term view, with particular reference to consideration of the mortgagor's equity, so that the producers' work over a long period shall not be sacrificed to purely financial considerations. In dealing with this great problem human values as against financial ones should have far greater consideration than has been accorded them in the past.

"(5) Further lowering of interest rates through the agency of the Keservc Bank be undertaken.

"In addition to the foregoing, we are convinced that some immediate temporary relief is necessary, and we therefore suggest that credits be issued by the Reserve Bank, interest free, for the purpose of guaranteeing a minimum price of 1/ per lb for butterfat, with a proportionate price for cheese. When the foregoing reforms are given effect to we consider the base minimum price for butterfat would be lOd per lb. The credits should be repayable from a fund created as and when market prices rise above the respective guaranteed minimum prices."