DAIRY CONTROL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10304, 15 June 1927, Page 5

DAIRY CONTROL

MR. PATERSON REPLIES TO M K GROUND*

ALLEGED GROSS MISREPRESENTATION.

ROYAL COMMISSION SUG-

GESTED.,

WELLINGTON. June 14

Messrs Morrison, Smith and Morrison, solicitors for Mr Stronach Paterson, late Government representative on the London agency of the N.Z. Dairy Produce Control Board, to-day forwarded the following letter to Mr William Grounds, chairman el the N.Z. Dairy Produce Export Control Board — “.Dear Sir, —We write to you as solicitors for and under instructions from, Mr Stronach Paterson, until lately Government representative? on the London agency of your Board. Mr Paterson has had brought under iiis notice various New Zealand newspapers, including the N.Z. Dairy Produce Exporter oi 2tith March last, containing what purports to be your version of the history of Mr i'aterson’s actions in his capacity as such Government representative. You were, of course, aware at 'the time when'you made your attack upon Mr Paterson that even if lie desired to rejjly it was impossible- tor him to do so for a period of at- least several weeks. To reply in detail now, .after such a lapse of" time, is obviously m very little use, pa'rtifcuhtrly because such reefy migut well give rise to further’" controversy, ana again Mr Paterson’s reply to you could not by reason o: his absence in England bo published until the lapse of many weeks after the publication of yom own statement. Mr Paterson, therefore dons not consider it necessary or desirable that he should at tins stage enter into any discussion of merits or demerits of the. price fixation of dairy produce in London. That issue, he pointed out to us, is already settled, unfortunately at the expense of New Zealand in genoi.il, and New Zealand dairy farmers in particular, nor does Mr Paterson 10,v. u .(l it as his concern at the moment to answer what he regards as specious propaganda by yourself and some of your supporters, whose poiicv has (nought the actual results achieved by price fixation to the dairy industry of the Dominion as n wiioie, but it\s lvis concern, and it is for that purpose that this letter is written to repudiate what he regards as your gross ndsrepresentation of his actions as New -Zealand Government representative on the '■'.ondon agency of the Uontrol Beard and in that connection Mr Paterson would welcome ail opportunity before a Royal Commission or other appropriate tribunal appointed to inquire into the reasons for the failure ot t.u Board’s noliev of absolute cou.ro! am. price, fixation, of having his own actions fully investigated. ‘Air Paterson also desires us to remind von that while you were m London von had several conversations with him under a clear and definite pledge of strict commence on hot 1 ’ sides. He desires us to point out-'that for the purpose's ov your attack upon him you have not lies.rated to refer freely to those conversations In his view your attack eontains some complete misstatements of fact. It distorts and - misrepresents. both ins conndential - cons citations with you, and the general aims and effect, of his work, and it insinuates responsibility on his part 10v manv happenings with which no was in no way concerned. It woulu oo useless to attempt to carry matters further at tliis stage, because, as wc have already said, Mr Paterson is already still in London, and is unable h'v reason of his absence, to con tinue the controversy with you now, hut he' expects to be hack m New Zealand not later than October, and if von then desire any public investigation such ns that for example which would he altoraeci ny a Commission into the a.lairs <>j t.u Control Board, and the- true history of the actions of its chairman ano certain of its members ana ot hurv se lf ns Government- representative- on the London agency, and into the real causes of what he alleges are tile disastrniis results of the Board s po.iey, v-o assure von that Mr .Paterson wnl be delighted to join with you m endeavoring to have such investigation brought about. •‘ln view of the fact that your attacks on Mr Paterson have been o. the most public character, wo arc m struo-tod to hand copies of this letter to the newspaper press, and wc arc accordingly adopting that course. P.A.

MR GROUNDS .DENIES MISREPRESENTATION-

XO COMMISSION COULD REMO YE HARM BON'-.

Yv BLLIAUTUN. June 14. Interview;d to-night, on the mutter Mr Grounds made the following comment: '4 here bus been ;»o mi-, represent it ion ancl no mioStatenieu.of fact, and if a commission- cf inquiry could remove ths harm that has "been done- L would gladly welcome it, hut the damage can never no repaired. I shall be -prepared tor the fullest investigation at any time.”—-U-A.