DAIRY BOARD.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18634, 8 March 1926, Page 10

DAIRY BOARD.

OPPOSITION PROPAGANDA. «BOLSTERING-UP PRICES." (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.> LONDON, January 26. Several important journals have lent their columns to outspoken criticism of the proposals of the New Zealand Dairy Producers' Board. The most recent exarnple of this propaganda against the Board is to be found in the "Manchester Guardian," which publishes an article from "A Trade Correspondent." "While the Food Council is busy with the issue of White Papers describing the misdeeds of small shopkeepers in short weight and short measure," says the writer, "they give no time or effort to stop the machinations of the big interests, which even now are making the public pay high prices for ' some leading food commodities. The interests that matter are thofce represented by the organisations recently formed in New Zealand and Australia to control the price and regulate the supplies of meat and butter and cheese sent to this country. If the Food Council want definite evidence, of an organised effort to force maintain high prices for the articles named, they can.get.it by making enquiries in the Tooley street area, London, and in the provision markets of Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, and Newcastle-on-Tyne. They will not get information merely by calling witnesses before them in the conference room at the Board of Trade. The enquiries must be made on the spot. Supplies-Held Up. "At present quanties of the primary products of New Zealand are being held up in this country ponding orders from the Dominion as to the prices which are to be charged. This hold-up is part of a scheme which came into operation on January, Ist, by which the agents in this country of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Control Board ' are to keep goods off the market until such times as prices rise to a point to suit their liking, and in order to strengthen their, grip, shipments are to be cut down to the requisite quantities. Just now the scheme is helped by the fact that the well-to-do United States are short of butter and' are buying considerable quantities for direct shipment. It is estimated that between now and August shipments of New Zealand butter will be nearly 10,000 tons less than t .jn the corresponding period of last year, and from August the Dairy Produce Control Bojird will have absolute, control of all exports from the Dominion. At present it exercises 'partial control.' . Absolute Power. - . :\ "The powers under ' which the Control Board acts were conferred by the Dairy Produce Control Act, passed by the Dominion Parliament last year. This Act gives the Board absolute power to ship the produce 'at such times and in ouch manner and on euch terms as the Board in its discretion may determine. 1 In the English markets there is already 'evidence as to how the Board will use its discretion. The value of the produce which the Board will control is eetimated at about £20,000,000 a year. "A similar organisation has been eet up in Australia, covering not only foodstuffs but wool. It is fair to add, however, that in respect to meat and wool the Control Board has not exercised its p'ow.ire in an arbitrary fashion such as is now being exercised in the case of butter and cheese. As consumers in this country are painfully awp're, the pricea of butter and cheese have bten very high fijr a long time, and unless something is done to stop the plans of the New Zealand Control Board, there is no likelihood that these commodities will becorpe cheaper. Promoting Empire Trade. "The matter is the more important hecause ,the people of this country are being urged'to 'buy, British goods,' and thus help to promote Empire trade. Unquestionably, sentiment in this direction is /ery strong, and rightly so, but consumers have a right to expect that in the purchase of British goods they shall not be made to pay a higher price than is necessary to give the

colonial producers a fair rttaapufra labour. One other point: PraagjSSiß put upon the Imperial GoTerattSffiß? a sum of £1,000,000 a ytat {brSsaHß® years to improve the marktttmTßsßMff' produce in this country. hare to be found by the that is an additional naioa»«||®|:.' should not be bolstered up bj eo *^sßsP