PLEDGE TO HELP GOVERNMENT

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23052, 21 June 1940, Page 10

PLEDGE TO HELP GOVERNMENT

APPEAL FOR INCREASED PRODUCTION dairy association annual CONFERENCE [From Our. Own Reporter.] TIMARU, June 20. “This meeting pledges itself to assist the Government in its appeal creased production.’ Pins motion, moved by Mr F. G Harris was carriea at the annual conference of tte Souta Island Dairy Association of New Zealanri wnicn was held at iin*ciru to-day. Mr H. H. Meredith (Waimate) presided over a large attendance of delegates from all parts of the South Island. Delegates were welcomed by the Mayor (Mr W. G. Tweedy). The annual report stated that after writing cS £995 17s 4d for depredation the profit and loss account snowed a credit balance of £1415 10s 5d foi the year. It was recommended that the surplus be disposed of by transferring to the capital fund account £522 19s 4d (raising it to £16,000), making a contribution of £IOO to tne fund for the relief of farmers who had suffered loss through the recent ; floods on the Taieri Plain, giving £IOO to the New Zealand Red Cross .society for the Sick. Wounded and Distress Fund, and carrying forward the balance of £691 11s Id to appropriation account to meet income tax, social security tax, and other emergencies. The trade of the society continued to expand, the turnover lor the year exceeding that of the previous year by about 20 per cent., the report said. South Island gradings indicated a drop in butter-fat production for the year of about 1 per cent. In the three years since 1C36-37 production had declined in the South Island by 183 per cent, and for the whole of New Zealand by 14J- per cent. Now that supplies from Denmark and other countries had been cut off Britain had greater needs than ever for increased supplies of foodstuffs from the Dominions. One way in which New Zealand could assist would be to reduce the quantity of meat and butter New Zealanders consumed. By doing this, larger quantities would be made available for export to Britain. Margarine Substitute The Minister for Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) had made arrangements for tlie sale of tlie wiiole of New Zealand’s export butter and cheese to the British Government for the period of the war and no marketing problem arose for the time being, always provided that adequate shipping space would continue to be available for the transport of produce to Britain. Conditions which had been brought about as a result of the war. however, might create a difficult problem for the industry when the war ended and the arrangement with the British Government was terminated. It was likely that after the war the British Government would endeavour to maintain the increase in home production and become less dependent on imported supplies of foodstuffs; if such should be the case the market for New Zealand butter and cheese and other primary products might be affected to some extent. To-day, vitaminised margarine of the best' quality was being sold in England at 8d per lb as against Is 7d for butter, and it would appear that the problem as to how such competition could be met would in future be more difficult of solution. The following directors were elected; Canterbury. Mr H. H. Meredith;, Otago, Mr W. Lee; Southland, Mr T. F. Paul. Mr J. W. Smeaton was re-elected auditor. The following were elected to the calves committee:—Messrs G. R. Herron. W. Muir, D. Mcßae. D. Caldwell, C. R. Foster, R. Pryde, and W. Young. The following remits were carried:— From the executive: That proposals for the formation of the association into a limited liability company be anproved and the executive be authorised to take whatever further steps are necessary to give effect to the proposals. From the Tuturau Dairy Company: That, in view of the urgent demand for increased production the hours of work' in cheese factories be fixed at 52 throughout the year. From the Clandeboye Dairy Company: That an explanation be sought from the Marketing Department of the reason why the price of bacon at the opening of the season was 6Jd a pound and when competition became keener prices rose to considerably more than this figure, notwithstanding that the guaranteed prices from the Government remained the same. From the Farmers’ Dairy Federation: That because of the new restrictions covering the slaughter of pigs on farms being very drastic and inflicting hardship on farmers, representations be made to have ocmpulsory slaughtering at abattoirs repealed, provided the pigs are first passed under the Health Act before sale.