HONEY CONTROL

Grey River Argus, 12 February 1936, Page 2

HONEY CONTROL

ON N.Z. MARKET. The Deputy chairman of the Executiee Committee of Agriculture, Sir F. V. Frazer, has written as follows to Mr. John Murdoch, of Ross, Vice-Pre-sident of the Dominion Beekeepers’ Association, indicating a proposal to extend honey control to the New Zealand market: —Wellington, Feb. 6. —Dear Sir.—The Exeeusive Commission of Agriculture will hold an enquiry at 10 n.m. on Monday, 17th inst., in the Conference Room in the Chief Post Office building at Auckland, for the purpose of investigating the question of the grading and control of honey intended for the local market. The enquiry is the outcome of a petition presented bv the National Beekeepers ’ Association. If vour Association desires to be represented at the enquiry, the Com- : ssmn will be glad to hear the v of your representative or representatives.

The Commission will, if necessary, hold a further meeting at Christchurch, on a date to be arranged later, to enable South Island beekeepers to place their views before it Similar letters have been sent to Mr. V. 11. Benton, Miss M. A. Shepherd and -Mr. 11. Geddes.—Yours faithfully, F. V. FRAZER, Deputy Chairman. Mr. Murdoch has replied as follows: Ross, February 8, 1936. Sir F. V. Frazer, Deputy Chairman, Executive Commission of Agriculture, Wellington.—Dear Sir.; Your letter of the 6th inst. to hand, for which please accept my thanks. It is not convenient for me to appear in Auckland on the 17th inst, to give evidence against any proposition emanating from the National Beekeepers Association, as I have lost faith in anything that they would propose. They engineered the formation of the Honey’ Control Board, which has proved to be the greatest curse ever inflicted on a struggling industry. The late Honey- Producers’ Association, the National Beekeepers’ Association and the Export Honey Control Board are so intertwined that, when the Control Board is abolished, they will fall together. Last winter I spent three months touring amongst beekeepers in Auckland, Rotorua and Taranaki, visited the Beekeepers’ Conference in June at Hamilton, when I found that there were not half a dozen men there capable of speaking against the disastrous operations of the Export Honey’ Control Board, New Zealand honey, according to the Empire Marketing Board’s report, was retailing at from l/4d to l/9d per lb, and the Chairman of the Control Board told me they’ were advancing ljd per lb. and hoped to bring it up to 4-1 d per lb. in 18 month’s time. The sooner the Export Honey Control Board is abolished the better. It is only a few years ago that an attempt was made by the National Beekeepers’ Association to obtain local control of honey. The beekeepers turned it down flat. I would suggest that you take a vote of every registered beekeeper in New Zealand on the following issues:— ‘‘Are you in favour of Export Honey Control”—Yes or No. ‘‘Are you in favour of Local Control?—Yes or No.” Yours truly, JOHN MURDOCH.