MILK BOARD NOT TO BUY STATE INTEREST

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22654, 3 June 1948, Page 3

MILK BOARD NOT TO BUY STATE INTEREST

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 3.

The Hutt Valley and Bays Metropolitan Milk Board is to take no financial interest in the company to be set up to control the proposed Hutt Valley milk treatment plant.

This was decided after the board had discussed a proposal put before it a month ago that it should replace the Government as an equal partner in the company with the Wellington Dairy Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Limited The total capital of the proposed company is £IOO,OOO.

The chairman of the board, Mr, E W. Wise, said the representatives of the dairy farmers had given him the impression that they would be more than pleased to have the board combining with them in the company. They were not happy, however, about a suggestion that the finance should be provided by the State Advances Corporation and considered that the board should find the money, giving the people rather than the State a financial interest in the scheme.

Criticism of the proposal that the board should join the company was led by Mr- J. B. Yaldwyn, who said the board should have no other concern but the interests of consumers and the enforcing of its requirements on their behalf.

Mr. Yaldwyn was supported by Messrs. E. F. Rothwell and W. Giltrap, Mr. Rothwell saying that the board should steer clear of the socialisation of what had been a private industry.