DAIRY BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 67, 22 March 1929, Page 13

DAIRY BOARD

FREEDOM WANTED

IN SHIPPING CONTRACTS

Tho position of the Dairy Board in relation to tho Meat Board in the making of shipping contracts was discussed at the meeting of tho Dairy Board just concluded.

In aceordanco with notice of motion given, Mr. J. Hine moved: "That this board, representing tho dairy industry, claims complete independence in tho matter of making shipping contracts, and therefore requests that the Minister of Agriculture will, when opportunity presents itself, take steps to repeal tho last paragraph of section lof elauso 14 of the Dairy Export Control Act." The clause as it stood made the Dairy Board subservient to' tho Meat Board in limiting capacity to make shipping contracts, and that position was not right. ■ •

In a lengthy discussion it was pointed out that tho Meat Board had never exercised tho power given by the Act and had, in fact, passed a resolution that it would not act without the board. The position arose largely from the fact ■that the Meat Board Act was the first on the Statute Book, and Parliament, on establishing the Dairy Board, recognised tho advisability of the two boards working in conjunction, with shipping contracts. In the drafting of the provision in tho Dairy Board Act to provide for this, provision was made that tho Dairy Board could not: act without the Meat Board, should tho latter so desire. While this nominally placed the Dairy Board in a position subservient to the Meat Board, the view was oxpressed by some that. it- was purely a matter of drafting largely dictated by tho desire to avoid amending the Moat' Board Act. The intention- of Parliament was that the .two boards should co-operate harmoniously in -connection with shipping arrangements. '

As an amendment Mr. Grounds moved: "That it is not desirable that any representations be made to the Government regarding amending legislation until the Government is prepared to consider all the clauses of the-Act that require amendment."

On a vote being taken', .the" amendment was lost, and the original motion, as altered by Mr. Hine to- -the- following effect, was carried: ''That . this board, representing the dairy industry, claims complete independence- in the matter of making shipping contracts, and -therefore requests that the Minister of Agriculture will, in the event of the Act coming before tho • House, take steps to repeal the last paragraph of section 1 of clause 14 of tho Dairy Export Control Act."