DAIRY EXPORT CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 146, 21 June 1923, Page 6

DAIRY EXPORT CONTROL

Mr. Massey will have difficulty in the matter of giving effect to the wishes of dairy producers as.to the Control Bill. sHe very properly stipulated for unanimity, or something Very near it, before the Government would seriously proceed with the measure. As the matter now stands, the South Island has carried control by 89 for and 38 against. Now the North Island, at Palmerston, has carried the proposal by 110 for and 50 against. These figures and those of the South Island, combined, form a furce of 199 determined to carry out a scheme of compulsory control, which 88 definitely resent. The. numbers are not conclusive, because a number of factories called did not vote at the meeting yesterday. No doubt improvements in the dairy export trade could be expected with something like a control scheme, such as regularity of shipping and supply of markets, '• with high standards of quality. It is also felt that control would enable producers to secure better terms than they now obtain from shipping companies, but with respect to that it was not made' clear by any speaker of how few are the hands directing the insulated fleets of the world, although it was indicated that producers with £16,000,000 worth o£ produce could influence the fitting out of a fleet sufficient for their needs, independent of the existing shipping interests engaged in, or associated with, the New Zealand trade. Hopes are entertained by supporters of control thab better banking conditions could be obtained by the consolidation of dairy exporting interests. This, however, is a moot point. It is gratifying to observe that the original idea of asking the Government to assume certain financial responsibilities has been abandoned. The Government is certainly placed in an awkward predicament by the numerical strength of the opposition to compulsory control, and the public will watch with interest its future action with resgect to the Bill.