Refusal To Sign Report Of Dairy Industry Inquiry

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29145, 4 March 1960, Page 17

Refusal To Sign Report Of Dairy Industry Inquiry

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 2. Mr E. W. Scott, cheese manufacturers’ representative, confirmed today that he had refused to sign a report brought out by a committee of investigation into the dairy industry. Though he did not bring out a minority report, Mr Scott refused to sigh the report on the grounds that it dealt inadequately with the matter studied and that he preferred realities of the industry to economic theories.

Today at Hawera, Mr Scott refused to make a further comment, but said he had subsequently given the Dairy Board further reasons for his refusal to sign the report, which will be made public next week. The committee of investigation was set up in February, 1959, by the Dairy Board as a result of a resolution carried by the dairy industry council and the Dairy Products Marketing Commission. During the year it considered written and oral submissions on five matters it was to investigate. These were:

To continue the work of the committee previously set up to consider the question of bringing products other than butter and cheese into the guaranteed price; to review the financial basis for running the industry; to investigate methods or bases for organisation of production in order to meet foreseeable and best needs of marketing, having regard to matters under consideration by the previous committee; to take into consideration a resolution of Federated Farmers “that this council is concerned at the financial trends of the New Zealand Dairy Board and calls for a

comprehensive economic survey of the industry, with particular emphasis on the financing of its operations”; and to examine any other matters raised by dairy companies or district dairy associations.

Mr Scott said he was appointed by the Dairy Board to the committee, and he felt obliged not to make further comment at this stage. He said it was up to the board to choose if it would release his report The general manager of the Dairy Board (Mr A. H. Ward) said today that Mr Scott had written a letter elaborating the reasons for his refusal to sign the report. Mr Scott had stipulated in his letter that if it was released to the industry it would have to be in full. As the letter contained confidential matter, Mr Ward said he did not think this would be possible.