PRODUCE BOARD.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 July 1924, Page 3

PRODUCE BOARD.

SUGGESTIONS TO' THE GOVERNMENT. PREFERENCES AND FOOD suppli.es. LONDON, May 1. A memorandum, on the subject of preference has been submitted to the Chancellor of the Exthequer, at his request-, by the British Empire Producers’ Organisation. Special reference is made to the Economic- Conference resolutions to he placed before Parliament. It is pointed out that while neither the suggestions made to the Imperial Economic Conference by the late Gov T eminent, nor the actual recommendations of the Conference itself are binding in any legal or constitutional sense on the various Parliaments of the Empire. it is pre-eminently to be desired that each Parliament should endeavour to regard them from a non-party point of view. From the economic -standard it is urged that there is every reason for carrying out the proposals of the Conference. The present position of disorganisation of essential supplies from within the Empire calls for immediate remedy if this country is not to lose the best- of its custom, and the main repositories of the British high standard of living for the operative. The remedies suggested to the Conference and approved by it were not the suggestions of a moment, but were merely the official seal set upon the concentrated programme carefully collated from the opinions of the whole of the industries concerned. The doubt which now obtains in regard to the future is all the more serious following upon a period of expectation, and the"revulsion of feeling that will be- caused throughout the Empire overseas by any reversal of an Empire policy" which is desired by an overwhelming majority in the Empire would have most serious results, and would probably direct a decisive blow at the usefulness of Empire conferences of any kind. The organisation considers that the creation of an Imperial Economic Committee. as recommended bv the Economic Conference, is essential to a continuity of Empire, policy. Short summaries are given of the arguments in support of the varictus preferences recommended by the Economic Conference. and the advantages of preference to Empire firms using Empire materials and labour in the case of Governments and public body contracts are urged. .1 he organisation strongly advocates the establishment by the British Government, in conjunction with the Governments of the Dominions and Colonies, of an Empire Produce Board charged with the task of co-ordinating Empire sources of production and securing the food supply of this country. Such a> board, it is suggested, should be composed of representatives of producers and consumers, and should act in close touch with the- Imperial Economic Committee, but should . not be part of that committee. The following terms of reference for the proposed Rrocluce Board arc suggested: •(1) To co-operate with producers' bonids and associations, established and to he established within the Empire, to.secure uniformity of grading, standard qualities, co-ordination for ti ansport by land and sea, and a simplification of the process between producer and consumer

(-) To investigate and. advise .upon the possibilities of developing exist-ino-and opening new sources of‘ food supply within the Empire, together with the question of finance in regard to these. t

(3) To advise on the provisions of cheap storage, transport, collection, hanclhng at ports, and distribution. (4) To assist the producers to act collectively m dealing with the retail trades.

■ (o) To call for information and to make recommendations with a view to reducing the discrepancy between the prices paid to the producer, and bv the consumer respectively. (fi) To nrepnre and publish weekly rallies showing from week- to week the compaiison between the prices paid to fnT, l P 'i fK 11Ce i' ; p . a,tl in thp wholesale !-vo "-T P ‘ ri - d rPt:iil })v lhp oon,nmei with a view to drawing public attention to any discrepancies that- may exist. '

(/) To examine all possible methods ‘J Preferential treatment to Itminre supplies, particularly m regard to marketing, finance, transport, etc., mid to examine the oneration of preerentia tariffs as applied to essential fondstnfi s ni foreign countries and systems. ,um