POOLING STUDY

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33626, 30 August 1974, Page 7

POOLING STUDY

The Wool Marketing Corporation has been asked to again investigate the feasibility of conducting a voluntary pooling system for wool. A remit suggesting such a move introduced by Mr R. H. M. Johnston, North Canterbury representative on the committee, was approved at last week’s meeting of the electoral committee of the Wool Board. A questionnaire sent to growers by the corporation at the end of last year to test grower support for a ;

voluntary pooling scheme showed such poor support that the corporation did not proceed further with the idea, but Mr Johnston told the committee last week that he was not convinced that it should be dropped on that account.

The timing of the survey was unfortunate coming at a holiday period and so soon after the acquisition debate, when perhaps many farmers were suspicious of a new' scheme and unwilling to give it the study it possibly deserved. Many farmers, he said, would see obvious benefits in the levelling effect that such a scheme could have on their wool receipts. He hoped that the study he was suggesting would produce a plan which was acceptable and practical.

The committee also had before it two remits on the question of grower control of the Wool Marketing Corporation and seeking

additional grower representation on the corporation’s directorate. After approval had been given to a remit introduced by Mr M. R. Barnett (Canterbury-Westland) that in view of uncertainty about grower control of the corporation the committee urge the Government to legislate for additional grower representation on its directorate, Mr A. E. Stratton (Rangitikei) moved that four additional grower members be appointed to the corporation’s board, but this was amended to recommepd two more.