HONEY MARKETING

Grey River Argus, 12 July 1945, Page 4

HONEY MARKETING

SECRET DISCUSSION SOUGHT BY A CONFERENCE DELEGATE P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, July 11 At the annual conference of the New Zealand National Beekeepers’ Association in Christchurch, Mr.' K. Sage suggested that to avoid “any possible victimisation” of members of the Association, the discussion on all remits on marketing questions be taken in camera. Mr. Sage said tnat prosecutions had been brought against nim and other mebers by the Internal Marketing Division. Officers of the Division4were present at conference.' He suggested that they should be asked to retire before any marketing questions were discussed. The members of the Apiary Division however, had been good friends to the industry, he said, and they should be allowed to remain for the discussions.

Mr. W. B. Bray seconded a motion to this effect proposed by Mr. Sage. Mr. 'Bray said members of the 4Association had heard a lot about cooperation, but it was not co-opera-tion when the Internal Marketing Division called in police to put producers in court. Civil servants nad become neither civil nor servants. It would be in order for civil servants to retire while the conference rnrmulated' its policy free from interference.

The President, Mr. E. A. Field, said he would have to rule that all Government officers would have to retire if a suggestion such as 'hat made by Mr. Sage were approved. Mr. Sage said that officers of the Internal Marketing Division were not neutral. Members of the Apiary Division were neutral in their attitude.

Mr. Field said that he had seen in recent years two tremendous swings in the attitude of the apiary industry. The first had been when the beekeepers were clamouring for control. The second swing was now. when beekeepers were tired of regimentation. The Government officers whom thev knew had done a great deal for them. Some victimisation might have taken place in other places, but lie did not think that the Government officers who were attending the confernce would be instruments in such action. Mr. Sage then intimated that ne was ready to amend his motion to allow the' discussion of a nufber of remits on marketing, but not nil of them, in camera. Mr. A. H. Honeyfield, manager of the Auckland Branch of the Internal Marketing Department, who attended the conference, said that the Government officers present wore ready to retire if asked to do so. Mr Honeyfield pointed out that often prosecutions laid by the Division were made at the request of beekeeprs themselves. It was decided to discuss a number of remits in open, conference, and to postpone any discussion on marketing in camera until to-mor-row. EXPERIENCED CONTROLLERS NEEDED. P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, July 11. . “During the war, we know that it is necessary for industry to be controlled, but sometimes we feel that this control is irksome and not always in the interests of the consumer or of industry,” said the Mayor (Mr. E. H. Andrews), at the annual conference of the National Beekeepers’ Association. “I know that you, like other" industries, have had your problems. In Christchurch we have a special problem in the fish industry. For six weeks we have been without fish, while the Price Tribunal considers a price cut. People are getting restive. It makes one wonder about the control. The basis of the trouble seems to me that those appointed to control are frequently men who have no practical knowledge of the industry which they are supposed to control. Let industries be controlled and served by men who have knowledge of them, and not by amateurs, and we would get more work done with much less trouble.’’