PROPOSED POTATO BOARD

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26117, 20 May 1950, Page 8

PROPOSED POTATO BOARD

GROWERS TO CONFER A warning that “nagging over petty details” might lead to potato growers being, left without any arrangement for growing potatoes next season was given by Mr G. H. Blair when the annual conference of the agricultural section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers yesterday received an offer from the potato section of South Canterbury Federated Farmers that its chairman (Mr T. L. Hayman, M.P.), vice-chairman (Mr W. Fletcher), and Mr V. W. Wilson should meet North Canterbury growers to discuss the proposed establishment of a potato ooard. The offer was accepted. “To-day there no promise of a contract for next year,” said Mr Blair. "S . far as the Government is concerned potato growing next year will be free.” The only possibility of some arrangement lay in the proposed board. Mr D. Goode said that although he was in favour of the board he was concerned whether growers, after hearing what the South Canterbury delegation had to say, would be allowed to vote on the proposal. He said that Messrs Hayman and Fletcher had promised that growers generally would have a vote on the scheme, but this had apparently been withdrawn. The retiring chairman (Mr G. C. Warren) and the new chairman (Mr G. A. Nutt) both ruled that as the meeting would be called by the section it would be in the hands of growers what happened there. Mr Nutt said that both South and Mid-Canterbury had favoured the proposed board and North Canterbury seemed the only district in doubt. If the meeting was alsp in favour there would seem to be no need for a vote in the South Island, but if the meeting was in opposition there might be a case for a vote.