ABSOLUTE CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 130, 5 June 1925, Page 7

ABSOLUTE CONTROL

"AN UNWORTHY SUGGESTION" A correspondent writes to "The Post': drawing attention to what he describes as ."an unworthy "suggestion" arising out of the discussion, on Control. The writer, who is neither a producer nor directly interested in-the marketing- of produce, states:— "It is not surprising that the controversy over the 'absolute control' policy of the Dairy Board has given rise to some strong personal feeling. Each side is anxious to establish tho soundness of its own contentions and 'conclusions, and to demonstrate the unsoundness of tho conditions . and conclusions of the other side.' This is the inevitable state of affairs in such circumstances. lii some measure, greater or smaller, exaggeration invades every disputation, and within certain, bounds it is not regarded as a heinous offence. But I cannot help thinking that some of the advocates of • "absolute control' have gone. ; much beyond the limits of fair controversy in presenting their case-to the.public*. in general and the factory suppliers in particular. They have attempted to make it appear that shippers and merchants at this end are responsible, not only for tho cable messages that have come from London lately indicating that people there are seriously perturbed over the impending advent of absolute control, but also for the accumulating stocks of lmtter on hand and for the depression of prices. "That I am justified in saying as'much j as'this may be gathered from an extract from the 'Waikato Times,' in which the recent addresses delivered by Mr. W. Grounds and Mr. 'W. Goodfellow throughout the South-Auckland district are briefly reviewed. "'They, demonstrated,' the Hamilton paper says, 'thatsome of the opposition was based on self-interest and some on -misapprehen- ! sion, and they satisfactorily explained away some of the bugbears. . It is not to be expected that" those who have hit-h- j crto appropriated a. large share of the perquisites in the handling of dairy produce between the factory and the consumer will be content to calmly contemplate the passing of the business ; but it should _be abundantly apparent to the co-operative supplier that every penny which goes into the pockets of the non-co-operative intermediary is deducted from the supplier's season's cheques. By a strong combination policy lie can, if he be so minded, defeat the machinations of the "bulls" and the "bears" who manipuate the market for their own profit.' .'■' *."-..." "If this is a correct summary of what the- two- champions of absolute control actually said, then there two gentlemen have far overstepped the fair bounds of -controversy. They know perfectly well from their own past experience and present observation that the accumulation of stocks of butter in London at the present time and the depression of prices are recurrent features of the market at this season of the."-. year, and that New Zealand shippers and merchants have nothing -whatever to do with ",the fears expressed by.the leading London newspapers concerninsr the assumption, of 'absolute control' r bv the Dairy Board. ■...:" . . ".Even if the local shippers and iuei-r chants were prepared to descend to such tactics as riVe" being attributed to them, they would have, little chance of inducing the great London journals to join them in such .a. discreditable conspiracy. The bare suggestion can only weaken the cause it was-intended to "assist.""'