BUTTERFAT PRICE

Grey River Argus, 11 May 1944, Page 3

BUTTERFAT PRICE

CANTERBURY WARD Less Critical than Others P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, May 10. The decision of the Government to make an increase in the guaranteed price of butter fat of 1.21 d. per lb. was the main topic at the Dairy Boara Ward conference at Christchurch today, as it has been at Ward conferences in other parts of New Zealand. There, however, was less criticism ot the Board here than at North Island centres. One of the delegates expressed what appeared to be the view of the majority when he said: “The Board has done all it could do, and it should not be blamed. It is not the Board’s fault if the Government has not fallen in with its wishes.”

A motion was moved asking the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Hale, io approach the Acting-Prime Minister with the request that he cable the Prime Minister, asking him to use every endeavour to obtain from Britain an increase in the price for dairy produce. \ The motion was superseded by an amendment supporting the action of the Board in asking for an increase ■of 1.99 d. per lb. for butter fat, when negotiating with the New Zealand Government earlier in the year.

An indication that the last may not have been heard on,the price question was given by the Ward member, Mr. J. Dunlop, who told a questioner that he could not say that the price was final. The Board would inform the Government that, wherever it went, the question of the price had been raised. It was only fail’ to the Government and all concerned to uo that. . , The conference carried a resolution asking that the calf-rearing suosidv should apply to all calves. The mover, Mr. G. H. Christie, said more than half the dairy production of Canterbury came from small heras, which‘would not benefit if this subsidy applied only to calves beyond five.

More Dairy Production I BOARD CHAIRMAN'S APPEAL . P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, May 10“'Their production has been our salvation,” said the Chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board (MyW E. Haley when appealing at a Ward Conference at Christchurch for Jucreased production to' assist the people of Britain. "At one time their position looked hopeless, but they carried on and saved the world. Mt. Hale said that Britain had been a. wonderful Godmother to New Zealand When there was a shortage or shipping, Britain nad agreed to pay half the price of New Zealand daiiv produce whether it was lifted °t L ’ and had paid half the cost of dehydration plants and additional stores. Now the Board had pledged the industry to extend itself to the limitm secure during the next three y the increased production J? e .*;ued feed the soldiers of the United No tions. and the war workers of Bntam Mr. Hale said that circumstances over which the industry nad litue control had led io a rapid production, and cow numbers lower than in any season Lp Now there had come an uigent ca to lhe industry to attempt to this decline, and if possible to crease butterfat production bv 1U L 20 per cent, over the next three sea sons. Apart from the auestion oi assisting the Allied cause, , • Z said, the dairy industry must look w the future. Markets for almost y. per cent, of its produce were over seas, and according to whether tn _ industry served or failed those n kets m their hoUr of need might we-i depend the treatment which the dustrv would receive when conai returned to normal. He said tha the objective was an Increase of per cent, in butterfat production nex ■season „ A complaint that dairy farmer shac not known enough about what was going on when the Government was negotiating with the Dairy n y Council about, the increased price i OI butterfat was made at the conleicnce, and drew a spirited repiy from Mr Hale. He said that they had heard ouite a lot in various parts of l New Zealand about the “hush hush I policv. That was. not the policy of i the Board. If they wanted to put the blame anywhere thev should put n on the Government. It made him when this was thrown up at conference after conference. It was not fair criticism. Personally, said Mr.

Hale, he thought the people of New Zealand should be told more, but nc was not one of the leaders of the Government. If he were it was possible that he might not tell a great deal more than they did.