WEST COAST DAIRYING

Grey River Argus, 23 April 1937, Page 8

WEST COAST DAIRYING

ALLOCATION OF ZONES.

After a day and a half’s diseuss'-on of the problem of the rationalisation of cream collection,. the con fereuce between the Executive Commission of Agriculture and the dairy companies operating on the West Coast concluded at Greymouth yesterday morning- The members jif the Commission present were: Sir Francis Fraser (deputy chairman), Messrs David Jones and G- A- Dunean. Associated with them were Messrs John Dunlop and W- E- Halo, of the Dairy Board- The following companies were represented: Karamea, Buller Valley (Westport), Murchison, Golden Coast (Reefton), Overland and West Coast Farmers ’ Co-op- (Greymouth), Arahura, Kokatahi, Westland, IntelWanganui (Harihari), Waitaha Cheese Co-, and Tai Tapu (Christchurch). In a .statement issued after the conference, Sir) Francis Fraser said that the object of the meeting had been to arrive at a system for the rationalisation of the cream collection methods in the district, ano with -that in view, to arrange as far as possible the allocation of zones or districts! to the various companies. There had been a lengthy discussion, and many questions had been aswened by the Commission, but, on the whole it had been a very friendly meeting. The Karamea Company was allotted the area north of Corbyvale, where it was bounded by the area allotted to the Buller Valley Company- The last-named company, in its turn, had been given a boundary at the Blackwater River (in the Buller Gorge), which separated it from the area now served by the Golden Coast CompanyThe Murchison Company had been allotted. the area north of Newton Flat, on the Inangahua-Junction-Nel-son road, and that boundary was effective between, the Golden Coast, Overland 1 and West Coast Parmens’ Co-op-. Companie- The throe last-nam-ed companies were bounded on the Westport-Grey mouth coastal .road by the Fox River, which separated their area from that of the Buller Valley Company- Thej Commission indicated that it would not definitely allocate the Maruia district to Murchison or Golden Coast at the present sitting. It thought it would be wiser to defer the settlement of that particular issue until a suggested basis of unification of operations had been d‘scu<sed by the Golden Coast, West Coast Farmers’ Co-op- and Overland Companies- A provisional boundary between the thrjee last-named companies and the companies operating from Arahura southwards was fixed as the Christchurch road, where it runs on the south side of the Teremakau river.

The matter) of fixing a defin te boundary and the allocation of a district area toi the Inter-Wanganui Company was deferred to a later meeting, but the Commission intimated that it was prepared to fix rhe boundary near Waitaha, but it. was not prepared at the present stage to say whether Waitaha would be in eluded in the Inter-Wanganui area- A definite decision on this point would be given when the Westland, Kokatahi, and Arahura companies had a conference among themselves on the matter of the merger of their interests- The Waitaha Cheese Company intimated that it was considering throwing in its lot with a co-opera-but thought that it would be better but though that it would be better to ascertain whether a co-operative amalgamation would take place at the Hokitika end before decid ng it wished to be zoned to Inter-Wanganui. The Golden Coast, West Coast Farmers’ Co-op-, and Overland Companies desired that the boundary between their district and that of tin Tai Tapu Company should be the Otira tunnel- The Commission thought however, that it would be wiser to defer consideration of this boundary also until a .scheme for the unification of the operations of the three local companies had been worked out, which would result in a better l collection service being available for the Inchbonnie, RotQmanu, Kotuku area. If that was done, the Commissioner indicated, it would be inclined to ; favourable consideration -to the fixing of the boundary at the Otira tunnelThe Commisison intended visiting Greymouth again after the suggested meetings had been held by the different companies! and would be prepared then to finalise all the issues now outstanding, concluded Sir! Francis. It was desired, however, to give the companies concerned full opportunity or arranging their) own differences, before coming to a definite decision affecting companies outside the areas claimed by the companies in question-

The members of the Commission and the Dairy Board members left yesterday afternoon on return tc Christchurch-