FORM OF CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 99, 28 April 1937, Page 12

FORM OF CONTROL

NEED FOR ELASTICITY

MACHINERY OUTLINED

In, attempting to improve the producers', position, the Committee is of the opinion that the first consideration must be given to the questions of sound and honest grading and packing- of the goods intended for sale and orderly and regulated marketing as far as the latter is found to, be practicable in dealing with a large number of small or comparatively small producers and having regard to the diversity of their activities. The process of improvement must of necessity be more or less gradual and must follow the education of the producers concerned and have their general cooperation. In the meantime, the aim of the Committee is to suggest machinery for improved packing and marketing sufficiently specific and complete to be applied when considered desirable to any group of producers or to any particular commodity and, at the same time, sufficiently, wide to cover the whole of our fruit and vegetable products when that course becomes necessary. ■

Any organisation, firm, or individual becoming responsible for the orderly marketing of a primary commodity must have control of that commodity or, what is practically the same thing, authority to direct, the producer or producers in respect of the preparation and marketing of that commodity. If this is admitted, and in justice to any marketing authority it cannot well be otherwise, control over, the marketing of all horticultural commodities must be established. ELASTIC SYSTEM DESIRED. It is felt that elasticity of a control system that can be withheld, or applied wholly, or to any lesser degree desired, and made applicable generally, or to any district, or to any group of producers, or to any commodity, as circumstances dictate, and be varied to suit the peculiarities of the district, or producer concerned, would be preferable to a universal system applying equally to all prqducers of a particular commodity without variation to meet the Sifferent conditions obtaining. The Committee is of opinion that such a control system could be devised by the whole of our horticultural industries being brought formally under the control of the Prjmary Products Marketing Department and it recommends to the Government that such action be taken and that amendments, where necessary, of the Primary Products Marketing Act be made to give effect to this recommendation.

The Committee further recommends the appointment by that Department of an officer with the designation of the Director of Fruit Marketing. The duties of that officer should be, inter alia, that of adviser to the 'Primary Products Marketing Department nn all problems relative to the marketing of all horticultural produce, including the desirability of the Department assuming in due course something more than the formal control of the marketing of any particular commodity and the extent to which such control, partial or general, should be exercised. This officer also should advise concerning tha establishment of district or local marketing authorities and generally regarding' assistance to producers in connection with their marketing problems. A CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE. . The Committee recommends that a consultative committee be established at Wellington, comprising one representative each of the New Zealand Fruit Growers'. Federation, the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board, the New Zealand Fruit Brokers' Federation, and the Wellington Fruit | and Vegetable, Retailers' Association, the functions of the Committee to be advisory to the Director of Fruit Marketing and to the Marketing Department through that officer. J

It-is further recommended that local or district marketing authorities be set

up. in connection -with,any particular commodity in any particuiar district deemed desirable by the Director of Fruit Marketing and approved of. by the Marketing Department. , ■

The district" or local marketing authorities referred to would be equivalent to the Local Control Board-pro-vided for under the Fruit Control Act, 1924, but with the following essential differences:—

Fruit, under the Fruit Control Act is limited to apples "and pears' whereas the marketing authorities now proposed could be made to cover any horticultural product. In addition, the Fruit Control Act does not provide for local control boards to apply to districts within a province but only to whole provinces and also provides for such boards to be established by a favourable vote on the part of the producers concerned within the. respective provinces, whereas the marketing authorities proposed, by the committee could' be set up in.any province or any district within a province in circumstances, where any group of growers or the Marketing Department should consider such action to be advantageous to the producers concerned. "GOOD WILL AND SUPPORT." While it is hoped that the good will and support of producers.would largely govern the establishment of any marketing; authority the committee is of the opinion 'that, should the lack of unanimity among any set of producers lead to delay in the setting up of such an authority, summary powers to establish such an organisation should be given to the Marketing Department. Such local marketing authorities should be free, subject to the wishes and approval of the Marketing Department, to determine the extent to which they assume control of the marketing of the commodity, with which they are concerned and the conditions under which such marketing shall be conducted, such as standardisation, where such has not been made necessary bylaw, and pooling according to'variety and grade, etc. In addition to ■ the advantages that would arise from regulated marketing under . the proposed authorities there are many other ■advantage's, to be gained from a close organisation of producers such as these marketing authorities would represent. The producers would be able to speak with one voice on such matters: as transportation facilities and improvements, cool-storage requirements, commission charges, charging for containers, etc., etc., when such questions arise, and, conversely, would represent a stable organisation upon which transport authorities and other commercial interests could rely in connection with any undertakings mutually agreed to, a matter that is not practicable while producers are in an unorganised state and can only represent their.views and requirements individually.

While the committee, is not. recommending the immediate establishment of marketing authorities in connection with the whole of our horticultural activities, excepting in a'few instances which are referred to: later, the machinery will exist whereby- such authorities can be established at any time the producers ■ concerned, or the Marketing Department, ieel that their interests will be best served by so do-, ing.