Miller’s Views On Wheat Committee Appointments

Press, Volume C, Issue 29681, 27 November 1961, Page 17

Miller’s Views On Wheat Committee Appointments

His society fully supported the president of the Federation of Bakers, Mr W. McCutcheon, of Dunedin, in advocating a more democratic method of appointing industry representatives to the Wheat Committee, the chairman of the Flourmillers’ Society (Mr R. A. Evans) said at the week-end.

Mr Evans was commenting on a statement by Mr McCutcheon. published in “The Press” on Friday, in which he proposed a Royal commission to give the closest scrutiny to all interests whose activities were directly or indirectly connected with the production of bread. On a body where there was a diversity of interests, it seemed only fair that an industry should be able to appoint such representatives who would put forward its case as it wished, said Mr Evans.

Under present arrangements —representatives of an industry were appointed by the Minister of Industries and Commerce—this right was denied, as the Minister had the final right of appointment, regardless of whether or not a person had been nominated by his industry. “Such restrictive procedure will always tend to bring dissatisfaction. Only by an industry being assured that its case has been put as it wishes, will unpalatable decisions be more readily accepted," said Mr Evans.

“However, Mr McCutcheon’s statement that the Wheat Committee is mainly concerned with growers and millers’ interests is certainly not the view of the flourmilling industry,” he said. Indeed, ft had been a matter of some concern to the society that advice preferred and suggestions made on matters on which the society could speak with some authority had been consistentlyignored by the committee. It

was also claimed that in some matters in which the committee desired certain action, it had endeavoured to move the responsibility for that action from its own shoulders. “Mr McCutcheon has been somewhat trenchant about lack of consideration for consumer interests, and while no doubt he has reasons for this statement, it must be remembered that economic factors must have a considerable bearing on policy decisions,” Mr Evans said.

“I do not think consumer interests are lost sight of to the extent he states, and I can assure him that the millers’ objective is to provide the consumer with the best quality article the raw product allows. “Restrictions breed dissatisfaction, but providing the industries represented on the committee are allowed to appoint their own representatives so that they know that their views have been adequately voiced, they will be more prepared to accept the decisions finally made.”