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Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 183, 1 May 1936, Page 13

soon as lit is placed on ship for export from New Zealand. The suggestion of tie conference is that it be widenid to embrace produce held in store (awaiting shipment) for longer than two months.] Mr. Nash said he would not make a definite statement in regard to the period, but would take evidence 1 om the Dairy Board and the Departmen of Agriculture as to the average period of storage in the past. If after ascertaining tbafc it were found that a commodity were in storage for “ period, then the liability for tee extua period should be that ot the Maiketin s Depa rtmeut. (13) “Can tbe Government give the conference any particulars regarding Hie premium it will pay on quality for both butter and cheese. “Some procedure will be worked out in regard to grading,” Mr ' Ab the moment, he added, he did not want to make any statement regarding grades, other than to say that a committee was now working on a grading procedure. Every possible avenue would be explored before a decision was reached in regard to grading. No Limitation on Production. (14) "Does the Government's scheme of guaranteed prices envisage any proposal to limit the quantity of dairy produce on which the guaranteed'price will be paid ?” Mr. Nash said it was not intended for the time being to limit the qtiantity of dairy produce on which the guaranteed price would be paid. In the first year the price fixed would be paid irrespective of the quantity produced. Following that . a delegation would be going to Britain to find out what quantity of produce she was prepared to take from the Dominion. Whether it would be possible to get a bilateral agreement he did not know. Io the extent teat Britain gave New Zealand a market the Government would guarantee to allocate -the credits ftom the sale of our exports in Britain for the payment of interest on debts and for meeting any other commitments and to place the balance at her disposal for imports into New ZealandThe Government felt this country could be best served by the maximum of our products going to Great Britain. Assuming it was impossible to unci markets it would be impossible to continue producing goods lor which theie was no outlet. He could not envisage in the next decade a failure in -the market for dairy products. The Government would sell more than could be sold under any other conditions. He was not envisaging for the moment » limitation of but more would be Jmown about hat question when it, was ascertained from Britain what it was possible to get a market for. He hoped that when tlie Government’s representatives went to Britain next year ‘t would be possible to obtain a market for a .diHintitv even greater than could he produced from the soil of this j' o ’ l "' trv. New Zealand was inextricably linked up with the. policy of Great Britain, not only now. but he hoped for all time. Mr. Sinclair said the inevitable result of guaranteed prices wherever they’ had been tried had been an enormous increase in the production of the commodity concerned. The Minister knew that other Governments had had to pay farmers not to grow certain commodities. It was possible that at some future date the Government would say it could give the guarantee onlv for a certain quantity of products timt was an inevitable concomitant of guaranteed prices. He thought the industry should realise that such a policy would ultimately lead to restrictions and quotas—a policy that tlie in dustry had fought bitterly. . Mr. Nash said it would be foolish to produce goods for which theie vias no market. The Government was anxious to make the nation the unit, and to organise in the best way possible the amazing resources we had Here. There would be no shadow ot restriction in this country so long as the Government could find a way of getting our products to the people who needed them, and it might he necessary to cut across a lot of theories to accomplish that. ~ Disposal of Surplus.

Mr. Nash then answered several questions raised by delegates. Replying to Mr. Tosland (Piliama), he said that if there were substantial balances he would discuss with tlie industry how to use them for the benefit of tlie industry. There was no idea of taking any surpluses into Hie Consolidated Fund'Asked regarding the staffs’ ot the New Zealand exporting firms, Mr. Nash said there was a clause in the Bill wherebv the services of men witli expert knowledge of the industry could be engaged under tlie now scheme. Asked by Mr. IL 11. Hicks (Hauraki Plains) if any steps were being taken to maintain the balance between dairying and other sections of tanning, the Minister said that next year, if circumstances warranted, ,the marketing end of other industries such as meat and wool might be taken oyer. / Answering a question as to rural mortgages, th; Minister said another Bill he intended to introduce would provide for the consolidation of State lending departments, and associated with that would be a measure outlin-

ing the procedure to be followed to enable dairy-farmers affected by mortgages to meet their liabilities. “Treineiidoiis Experiment.” Mr. Sinclair said they all admired tbe Minister for his sincerity, diligence and ability, but their admiration for him never stood higher than al: that moment. Many delegates felt that they could go the full way with the Minister of Agriculture when he said the Government’s plan was a tremendous experiment. Some were prepared to go farther, and say that thg scheme of State ownership of dairy produce provided for in the Government’s legislation was fraught with very grave consequences. Some delegates, while realising the earnestness, of the Government in its desire to place the industry in a position of stability, had thought they should not disperse without placing on record their views of the scheme, but personally he felt strongly inclined to advise the conference not io pass any resolution that might embarrass the Government in its efforts to place the industry on a, sound foundation. At the same lime he should not like tee Government to think the industry had automatically committed itself to the new proposals. The legislation opened up avenues that many of them considered were fraught with danger, but he thought, they could give an assurance that they would do their best to see that the Scheme worked smoothly in the best interests of all concerned. In returning thanks, Mr. Nash said he felt the remarks of’ Mr. Sinclair were in the right spirit. He was more than pleased to hear them from Mr. Sinclair, because of the differences of opinion that existed between Mr. Sinclair and himself. It there was anything in the Bill tee conference wanted to fight, he hoped they’ would do it now. , . Mr. Lee Martin, who spoke briefly, said he believed that with the co-opera-tion of all they could improve conditions for the dairy-farmers as well as the lot of the wives and families and all those who rendered service. After the chairman had thanked Mr. Nash and Mr. Martin on behalf of the Dairy Board for their attendance, tee Ministers left: the conference.