HONEY CONTROL BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 July 1932, Page 11

HONEY CONTROL BOARD

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER.

[pee peess association.]

WELLINGTON, July 27. Fears that certain interests would bring pressure to bear upon the Government to secure the ■ abolition or curtailment of the powers of the Honey Export Control Board, were expressed by a deputation from the Beekeepers’ Association which waited on the Minister of Agriculture to day. Agreement with the policy being followed by the Board was expressed by the speakers, and the Minister gave an assurance that he would watch tb e interests of the producers. The Minister said he did not think they had reached the stage where they were discussing the abolition of the Board. “The Department’s report bears out what you say with regard to your prices,” he said, “but the Department suggests these prices were obtained by an expensive, method. A total of £45,000 was spent in advertising. That would not be much if you had plenty of goods to sell, but when you have only £50,000 worth, for the sake of argument, it would be too expensive. I realise you have established a good name in the Old Country, and your advertising charges can now be reduced.”

The Director-General of Agriculture, Dr Reakes, said that Mr Rutland, a member of the Board, was at present in 1 London, and he was going closely into that question with the. agents. . The Minister said the producer could rest assured that, as far as he was concerned, he would do everything to help them to retain the good will and trade mark they had established in Great Britain. If the Board were functioning satisfactorily for the producers, it could not he as bad as some made out.

DUTY REBATE. Approval of the principle of granting a rebate of duty on imports of sugar purchased by honey producers solely for the purpose of feeding it to bees, was expressed b'y the Minister of Agriculture in reply to' represent itions in this direction made to him by a deputation from the National Bec.keepers’ Association.! Mr E. W. Sage emphasised the vital necessity for beekeepers to secure some concession on their supplies of sugar. Some producers obtained from 12 to 15 tons of sugar in a season for the maintenance of their bees. Mr W. Watson said it was very necessary in the drought-stricken areas of the South Island to feed sugar to bees. The Government had helped farmers by free carriage of lime, by fertiliser subsidies and by Carrying stock and feed during times of drought. Beekeepers were in the same position. The Minister said he sympathised with the request, but he did not know what the Minister of Customs .and Finance thought about it. The principle had already been established by remissions of petrol taxation, and the principle was operating on butter box imports. It would be difficult to draw up regulations for the remission of duty on sugar, because it would be impossible to define -what was used for the production of honey and what was used in other ways. It would be accepted that the principle was a sound one. Material brought into the country to aid production should be sold as cheaply as possible. Mr Macmillan added that he would do his best to secure the rebate sought. It would have to go before the Government.

CONFERENCE REMITS.

WELLINGTON, July 27

The National Beekeepers’ Association of New Zealand opened to-day. Remits v/ere carried requesting that sugar be supplied duty free when used for feeding bees in bad winter seasons, and also asking the Government to maintain the number and status of inspectors, and to reinstate the part-time inspection system as soon as possible.