POULTRY BOARD CRITICISED

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21707, 14 February 1936, Page 17

POULTRY BOARD CRITICISED

INACTION ALLEGED

DISCUSSION AT MEETING

The New Zealand Poultry Board was hotly cri ticked at a general meeting Cf the Christchurch District Council of the New Zealand Poultry Producers’ Federation last evening, the grounds for the complaint being that the board was taxing the industry and doing nothing to help it along. “The board is not one of .those which wants running shoes,” declared Mr C. Morgan Williams, M.P., “it wants wings, and unless it can show better results in the near future. I shall, do all I can to wipe it out of existence” Although Mr Williams’s remarks were plainly supported by many of ■those present, the president, Mr W. Turner, and one or two others -spoke in defence of the board. “People have asked me what' the board has been doing and I have never been able to. tell them,” said Mr Williams, ‘.Tt is taxing the poultry producers and it can’t show anything-for it. It is not one of those .boards which want running shoes—it-wahts wings;” Mr Williams went on to say- that* he understood when the board was formed that it was gqmg to organise the poultry industry as it was organised'm Sydney, but he had been able to find no signs which would lead him to be-> lieve that this was being done. “The board is actually hoodwinking the industry and giving it a sleeping* draught while it is bolstering, up‘the uneconomic system which has been in operation for years. Unless it does better in the near future, I shall do all I can to wipe it out of existence. So far the board had only been .--fooling with the industry, and had’notv Justified its existence;” ■ < . , f • , Co-operation of Government Wanted The president, Mr W> Ttfurneiv said that an important clause which had. been originally in the act governing the board had been removed and this had left the board without a'nypower. He appealed tor support for the, board for a little longer to see’ how it. would get on. If that deleted clause—lwhich related to control—could, be restored, everything would, be. all'right; for’the board would then have a little power. The board in Sydney had;the co-opera-tion of the Government, and that wafr what was wanted here, - After the board had been further supported by another speaker* the. di*’ cussion lapsed until a remit suggesting that the producer memberjuofihe New Zealand Poultry Board should become the executive of the Poultry Producers’Federation was. put forward by Mr. D. A. McKie. for the Woolston branch. Slowing Machinery ' “The branches of this Federation are supposed to forward any remits thisy have to their district council, which,’; in turn, sends them on to the executive," said Mr McKie, in.putting the remit forward. “The executive sends them on to the Poultry Board, which then approaches, the Agricultural Department. I don’t know hpw many more places the remits go to. but u any of them happen to get through they, then have to start and come back, and I don’t believe very, many ever get back. I an: not criticising the federation executive, blit I think Tt Mows’ up the machinery. We have four producer members on the board and a paid secretary for the board. It 'appears to me that the secretary pf the federation is doing the wprk and not'getting paid at all.” * * ■ ; ’ ‘ Mr Turner: If some" of you;, went in to the board secretary’s office, you would not say what vou have said about him to-night, You-have spdkeh’

in off-handed terms, not knowing what you were talking about. ‘ -, The remit, which is to foe sent to the conference of the federations Was then altered to read: “That the executive 1 of. the federation should become'.the producers’ representatives ::on the Poultry Board.” and passed unanimously. Mr,.s, Fi Mar«haU,,the Christchurch: member of the Poultry Board, arrived after the discussion had closed, and on being invited to give an account of, the board’s work in the last few months said he .would, do -so if the. meeting wished, but he would prefer to^wait' . until a later meeting, as he' had not heard the discussion and the. time was . late, Mr Marshall , will' give his address at a meeting next Thursday avisn- ' ing. • ‘

GRADING OF EGGS

* • * DEFINITE STANDARDS SOUGHT Definite .grades throughout '-New Zealand fpr .eggs wore advocated by „ several; speakers at a general , meeting of the Christchurch District Council of’the New Zealand Poultry, producers! FederMam-|^^veiupg.^Tha. ■ meeting had before it a motion from the Burwood branch to.the effect that the council should send a remit to the annual, conference 6f the federallon,; Beeltirig <the followings grades:— Eggs oflj ounces to be standard: li to I? ounces to be medium; and Tinder* li ounces to be termed pullets’ eggs,,; Th&motion to send the remit forward was carried unanimously. \,Jt was Mated during the discussion that; there-was ho recognised grading system in New Zealand.