The Hawera Star. MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1927. DAIRY CONTROL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 14 March 1927, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1927. DAIRY CONTROL.

Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Havvera. Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa Kltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Alr."n Hurley villc, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Otaangai, Meremere. Frasei Koad and Ararata

The recent news from London regarding the position on the dairy product market has had a depressing effect in New Zealand, and already there are signs that those -who have opposed control from the first from any motives whatever are going to make use of the present situation to attempt to stampede the Government, the Board and the dairy farmer. It is only- to be expected that those who have seen no good in control, because in it they have seen a threat to their own private interests, should take advantage of the present disturbed state of affairs to renew their propaganda, and it provides no cause for wonder that the producer, whose very livelihood depends upon the maintenance of the London price of his produce, should be inclined to give more than ordinary attention to the forebodings of those who are only too ready to trade upon his fears; but there is absolutely no warrant for the action of those who seek to make this a political iissuo and to fasten the sole responsibility for the drop in prices upon the Government. Nor is the time ripe for the producers to accept the contention that the organisation which has been built up to watch the interests of those v ho forward some £20,000,000 •worth of produce in a year to the Home market should be wiped out. An agitation has been already started -with the object of rescinding the legislation which, fir from imposing upon the producers an organisation which they did not want, merely gave effect to a request for something which the producers had already decided by referendum that they did require. It is now being suggested in some quarters that Parliament should be called together for the express purpose of destroying the Board and throwing New Zealand’s dairy produce on the open market, and those who make that suggestion offer no excuses for seeking to pull down the organisation without any reference to the wishes of those who established it, not through bringing undue influence to bear, but by the democratic method of giving effect to the wishes of the majority. The suppliers will await the outcome of to-day’s meeting of the Dairy Control Board with interest, but they will be well advised to make no hasty judg-. ments or to jump at conclusions without hearing the answer of the Board to the criticism to which so much publicity has been given during the last few days. Much of that criticism has arisen from anonymous sources, but we do not pretend for a moment that the whole of it should be dismissed as so much propaganda when it is backed by such hard facts as the current prices xuling on the London market for our produce. On October 28th the Board adopted the following as its working basis: — (1) That the London agency be instructed to arrange a meeting of all importers of New Zciiland. butter and cheese for the purpose of electing a committee of three. (2) That the London agency, with the London manager present, shall confer with such committee of im- ■ porters .'.ro:n time to time for the purpose of mining the prices which shall be the selling prices of butter and cheese for the time being. (3) If both producer members of the London agency fail to agree to the price so named then in such case the London agency may itself name prices, which shall be the selling prices for all butter m l cheese. (4) The New Zealand Dairy Produce Board at all times reserves to itself the right to override all decisions of such joint committee or of the London agency, if in the board’s opinion such action is in the. best interests of the producers. (a) Meetings shall be convened by the London manager from time to time, or when requested to do so by any two members of the joint committee. The Board has the right to expect that those who have entrusted it with the onerous task of marketing their produce should at least await its reply to the critics, who have declared that the adoption of the above policy has not worked out in the best interests of the .icdustry in New Zealand, before joining in the catch-cry now being raised for the delivery of the Board’s collective head upon a charger, and if its members do not go the whole way -with the ciitics in their only suggestion, as to a

remedy —a suggestion thst Barliament should, rescind the statutory powers conferred upon the Board and that the producers should bo left to the mercy of a triumphant opposition —there will be still no warrant for the assumption that personal pride is standing in the way of the realisation of the object of obtaining the best possible marketing conditions for our produce. If it is true, as the Board’s opponents declare, that the Board cannot be expected to have the same innate knowledge of markets as that possessed by the Tooley Street merchants, it is also true that the members of the Dairy Produce Board, with the experience they have, gained during the last year, are in possession of much knowledge which it would be the height of folly for the producers to jettison at a juncture when they need it most.