DAIRYING INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 125, 29 May 1928, Page 15

DAIRYING INDUSTRY

"PASSING THROUGH CRISIS" STATEMENT BY MR. GROUNDS (By Telesraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, 28th May. "The industry is passing through a crisis," said Mr. W. Grounds, chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Produce | Board, when.addressing tho North Auckland Dairy Conference yesterday afternoon. "Although to the public," ho continued, "the shock ouJy appears .to : have just fallen, I consider we are well through it. To those who 'had inside knowledge of tho position it had been obvious that such a crisis must be met —that was, if those' who at/the present time are in charge of the destinies of the board had the courage to stand up to the efforts being made in certain • quarters to absorb the direction of the industry." Mr. Grounds said lie recognised his responsibilities. He would never descend to the vulgar idea that he was quarrelling with individuals. What ho had to say would have no bearing upon that. He had warned the industry of the consequences that would if a certain course were adopted. He referred to a> certain remark that had been made by Mr. Goodfellow at Cambridge that he (Mr. Grounds) would press forward with his eyes closed. Ho would leavp those present to judge if he had been moving forward with his eyes closed; Mr. Grounds then dealt with tho incident of the nomination paper .which had not been received in time. Personally, lie said, he had no knowledge of Mr. Booker. Tho Dairy Board played no partin the election, as the returning officer was an officer of the Agricultural Department. Where was their sportsmanship in asking the speaker to start over again when they had fallen at tho first hurdle? In view- of the whole story he could not help being reminded of Cromwell's remarks when he scanned the scene prior to Dunbar: "Tho Lord hath delivered them unto our hands." He did'not feel disposed to fly in the face of that divinity which had so plainly shaped their ends in that matter. He suggested that Mr. Goodfellow's spectacular resignation was belated. .It should have come at tho time when Mr. Goodfellow organised a separate selling organisation. There was an implication that the speaker was advocating a pooling policy, but he was doing no. such thing. To suggest pooling 'at tho present day was generally indicative of those minor imbecilities characteristic of statements that had been made.