CHEESE PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 12, 14 July 1930, Page 10

CHEESE PROBLEM

QUALITY BEFORE QUANTITY

DAIRY BOARD'S ATTITUDK ,

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The Evening Post.")

NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day.

Interviewed to-day in reference to the Dairy Board's 'view of the cheese quality problems, Mr. James Hine, act-ing-chairman of the board, said that the decision of the Hamilton conference could not be taken as a national mandate, as the South Island and some North Island factories were not repre sented during discussion at the board table.' • It was apparent to him that tho industry was Hopelessly divided, South Tarahaki representatives insisting on a sectional' pool' for each grading port, the South Island being equally insistent that the scheme must be national, whilst a large Waikato company was strongly opposed to the institution of a premium for "finest" cheese until compulsory milk grading was brought into force. Considering the state of the political parties and in view of the financial stringency which was affecting every industry in the Dominion, Mr. Hine said it was utterly useless to ask Parliament for power to impose any additional levy, unless the industry presented an absolutely united front. The board had offered to undertake the work incurred in a voluntary pool, and if Taranaki (as was expected) adopted the system of a levy and a premium for "finest", then the first step would have been taken to secure that which was recognised as imperative, namely decided improvement in the quality of New Zealand cheese. TIRED OF "HUSH, HUSH." Mr. T. A. Winks, Government representative on the board, and chairman of the Taranaki Federation, said he was very disappointed about the premium question. He regarded the recommendation of the Hamilton conference .as a mandate from the greater proportion of the cheese industry, in the North Island at least, to the board to assist in the introduction of. the premium levy. There was no clanger of the board being destroyed, Mr. Winks declared, by, its going before Parliament with a request for powers to make a sufficient levy. Ho was prepared to support a Dominion-wide adoption of tho premium with additional levying power to cover its cost. He was tired of the '' hush, hush policy in regard to the affairs of the industry. If the law needed amending tho sooner it was taken in hand the better. He hoped that before thev present session ended representations would be made. He believed that Taranaki would adopt. a voluntary pool, but he hoped for not longer than for one year, when the benefits would be so evident that the whole cheese industry would adopt the same policy. The Taranaki Federation will discuss the formation of a pool on Thursday.

Further reference to the subject of a levy for "finest" cheese will be found in the trade and- finance column of this issue.