DAIRY CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 100, 30 April 1927, Page 17

DAIRY CONTROL

MB. HOLLAND'S SUPPORT

GOVERNMENT ATTACKED

LABOUR PARTY'S IDEAS

(B» Telegraph.—Proas Association.)

WANGANUI, This Day. Air. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Opposition) last night issued a statement on dairy control. Mr. Holland, after referring to tho events that led up to the introduction of the Control Bill, said:— ; ; ■ "Tho Labour Party supported the principle because,' in their opinion, it would transfer the marketing of butter and cheese from the speculator to, the producer. There had been an outcry against the board having price-fix-ing powers, but price-fixing provailed m all modern transactions, and in this case it. was,solely a question of who should fix them—Tooley street or the New Zealand producers. For the time being Tooley street won out and it seemed as if they had won with the assistance of the New Zealand Government. Vested interests naturally fought co-operative marketing, . because they realised.that such marketing would deprive them of the opportunity to exploit both the producers and the consumers at Home." He contended that tho trouble which followed the institution of control was the result of storing supplios prior to control, and to tho gambling methods o± speculative interests. \ Dealing with Mr. Stronach Paterson, Mr. Holland said that Mr. Paterson undoubtedly voiced the sentiments of Tooley street. He further asserted that all communications so far made avai'able to tho public revealed that tho New Zealand Government was behind Mr. Paterson in his attitude of hostility to control, and •tho London manager. Propagandists from the vested interests' side had not been slow to circulate a statement that the Prime Minister was opposed to the board's policy, and this wa's borne out by Mr. Coatos's cable of October last. The Government's reply,, refusing tho board's request for the retirement of Mr. Paterson, and Mr. Cpates's unwillingness to accept Mr. Paterson's resignation, left no doubt that what Mr. Paterson was then doing was approved, notwithstanding that his conduct could only result to the detriment of the New Zealand producers. ; With respect to tho future, and sneaking officially for the Labour Party, Mr. Holland suggested that arrangements should be made botween tho Dairy Board and the co-operative distributing organisations of Britain for more satisfactory marketing, and .-that negotia-tions-should bo .opened up'with the British Government for tho establishment of a Food Purchasing Council, ruo organising of a board and the placing of contracts would require to bo carefully handled, but some such departure was urgently necessary. If ,a five years' contract were made betwoen tho suggested British Food Purchasing Council and the New Zealand Control Board for the supply of stated quantities of butter and cheese, the result must bo beneficial to both. At tho recent conference of the British Labonr Party, proposals were adopted that tho British Government should institute tho bulk purchase of supplies and raw material itf the Dominions, either by Government monopoly, or by organisations acting under its control to secure stable prices, and that the transport of food supplies to Britain should bo^ controlled and cheapened. This method would'prove the most effectivo form of preference, for reciprocal arrangements necessarily follow under which New Zealand would take British secondary products that could not bo manufactured here The Dominion was now sending hugo sums to the United Statos and Canada, which took httlo of our products, and the balance of trudo was against Now Zealand New Zealand would bo wise to uphold tho board against Tooley street and, if necessary, against the Boform Government to safeguard tho interests of tho primary producers lioro as well as tho British consumers. It was imperative that wo should conduct markoting on tho lines that would elimiuato nil tho elements which gambled in the people's food.