MUTUAL TRUST

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 281, 27 November 1941, Page 8

MUTUAL TRUST

BUYERS AND SELLERS

GRAIN AND SEED CONFERENCE

In opening the annual conference of the New Zealand Grain. Seed and Produce Merchants' Federation in the banquet hall of the Farmers' Trading Company this morning, the Mayor, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, said that the production of grain was one of the oldest industries in the Dominion, which had developed with the growth of the country. At the present time the housewife was interested considerably in the prices of potatoes and onions. One often heard of New Zealand potatoes and Australian oranges, but that had nothing to do with the present conference. (Laughter.) He recalled the early days of the federation and the good work the stalwarts had done in its formation. The organisation was set up for the good of the industry generally. Grading had been inaugurated and rules passed that made for mutual trust between buyers and sellers. It had resulted in a system whereby contracts were honoured and all disputes settled by a form of arbitration that had been devised. In the North Island there were nine associations and ten in the South Island all affiliated to the federation. There had been 23 annual conferences, and while five of the presidents had come from Auckland this was only the third conference held here. He had much pleasure in declaring the conference open.

The president, Mr. G. Buxton Green, of Timaru, thanked the Mayor for attending at a time when he knew his official duties took up much time. Auckland's hospitality had been great and he hoped that there would he more conferences in the Queen City in the future.