WHERE IS THE DANGER?

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 71, 24 March 1926, Page 8

WHERE IS THE DANGER?

♦— ■'"■.,'. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Mr. Hawken, Minister of Agriculture, replying to a deputation yesterday, asked: "Where is the danger of compulsory control?" Herein is the danger: 'The Board's policy, as oft repeated by the chairman, is sound in theory, but, as with many other matters, difficulties arise when it is put to the test of actual practice. One of the main objects of the board is to eliminate speculation (always ignoring instances of speculation being of benefit to producers), and it intends to arrange selling prices day to .day as the market justifies. The Board will, undoubtedly, hope to keep the price high, the buyers • to keep it low. The wish for higher, prices will influence the Board's judgment, which will be based on conclusions of its London members, who in turn, will be guided by the London manager. This virtually places the fate of the industry in the hands of one man. Stocks then may accumulate through error of judgment on the part of tho one man, the London, manager, in fixing prices so high as to alienate the buyers, forcing them to resort to New ..Zealand competitors for their requirements. Does not danger lurk here? Mr. Grounds has said that "Tooley' Street" will bo subject to "intensive supervision." What can this mean but an attempt to control their business? You can rely upon it that you hear 119 complaints, "no protests from '' Tooley Street"; but it is doing a lot of deep thinking. But we shall gradually discover that the British provision trade will gradually becomo less and less interested in our produce, and more interested in that of our competitors. There are very, very grave dangers ahead of control, none the less real because Mr. Hawken cannot discern them. i submit that most of the difficulties associated with the trade that tho Board sets out to rectify can be overcome without absolute control and its gravo dangers. —I am, etc., WHITE PINE.