MOOTED WOOL BOARD

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 138, 7 March 1930, Page 18

MOOTED WOOL BOARD

CONTROL NOT FAVOURED ONE VOTE TURNS SCALE Dominion Special Service. Masterton, March 5. A casting vote was necessary when the Walrarapa executive of the Farmers’ Union Voted on a. proposal submitted by the Dominion executive that the Government be asked to draw up a regulation during the recess regarding the export and marketing of wool on lines similar to the legislation of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board and New Zealand Dairy Producers’ Board. The letter further stated that the union was strongly of opinion that the personnel of such a board should be bona tide sheep farmers only. Immediate opposition was voiced by Mr. 11. Morrison, who considered that such a proposal would mean compulsion. The problem was bad enough now, but this would only make .it worse. There were many farmers who were financed by stock agencies, but if those firms were cut out where would they obtain their finance. Meat and dairy produce, he pointed out, were sold practically on one market only, but wool was a world-wide commodity. Attempts to control wheat had resulted in a huge accumulation of stocks. The Farmers’ Union should enter an emphatic protest against the action taken recently by wool buyers with reference to the Wellington sale. Mr. J. 11. Bremner thought there should be some control to meet the machinations and moves.of the men they were dealing with. Mr. Morrison had used the old arguments that were used eight years ago against the establishment of Meat and Dairy Boards. The action of the buyers the other day showed that they needed a controlling body. Messrs. E. L. Rayner and W. Colman said they’ considered a Wool Board would be tin improvement, Mr. ißayner stating that a board that lyould control wool sales to some, extent would be well worth while, but he was opposed-to the creation of a board that would control the whole marketing of wool. . . ' ' Mr. R. Pattison said the'creation of the wool board was both unnecessary and uncalled for. ’ . Mr. Ross inquired if Mr. Morrison and Mr. Pattison intended to take lying down the slap in the face given by the woolbuvers the other day. Mr. Morrison replied that the farmers always had the option of shipping wool Home, but he thought' the buyers action in holding up the Wellington sale an impudent one. There should .be a strong protest against it. Mr. Colman observed that the buyers had come out to New Zealand with instructions to force the price down to 9d., and they had done it. Mr. J. L. Heckler said the woolbuyers regarded the sales as' a farce. A wool board here would do no good; buyers could get all the wool they wanted from other sources. Eventually a motion supporting the formation of a wool board was rejected on the casting vote of.the chairman.