N.Z. DAIRY POLICY

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 9 April 1934, Page 4

N.Z. DAIRY POLICY

WELLINGTON PAPER’S COMMENT INCREASED DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION RB-ORiGANISEdIIEADER'EHIP To-day’s issue of the ‘'Dominion.” (Wellington), in discussing dairying policy at Home and in New Zealand, advocates a re-organisation of the industry’s leadership and contends that there” is scope for increasing New Zealand’s consumption of cheese, milk and cream. In commenting upon Mr Goodfellow’s recent pronouncement, the “Dominion” says editorially: “In the matter of new markets his (Mr Goodfellow’s) enthusiasm for Empire Free Trade blurs the possibilities here in New Zealand. Since only 16 per cent, of the butter and four per cent, of our cheese is home-consumed, he dismisses the domestic market as not of much value to the industry,’ and sajs it ‘cannot be further developed.’ It can bo further developed. To-day there are 70,000 men out of regular work in New Zealand. Were they re-established in full-time employment at full wages, the consumption of butter would rise. The population of New Zealand is a million and a half. If it were two millions, our domestic consumption of all farm products would rise by onethird. If it were three millions, consumption would be doubled. While these possibilities offer nothing in the way of immediate relief to hard-press-ed dairy farmers, they cannot be lightly brushed aside when discussing the future. As New Zealand grows industrially, the New Zealand farmer’s home market will grow, too. “ With our present population, for that matter, and apart from the special position of the unemployed, there are prospects of expanding the New Zealand market for milk products and raw milk alike. It would pay the industry to engage a New Zealand girl, a graduate in Home Science with special knowledge of dietetics, as lecturerdemonstrator to tour the larger towns illustrating new uses for milk, cream, butter and cheese —and to follow with a vigorous selling campaign. Having regard to factory prices, cream especially is too -dear in most New j Zealand towns: if the price were lowered much more iwould be used, and m I many centres it could be lowered bj a near-by factory, or group of factories, selling from a central depot. “Maximum exploitation of markets, domestic as well as overseas, depends upon the dairy industry being well l organised and well led, and upon strict j enforcement of the highest possible standards of quality. An assault upon I the (British retail trade such as Mr | Goodi'ellow suggests will be fully successful only when the product commends itself to the British palate, and •when the producer can be assured of its reaching the consumer under its own name. The proposal to tax the New Zealand consumer a penny a pound on butter and a halfpenny on cheese, while unlikely to be popular m the towns, offers an easy and practical method of financing a marketing drive: certainly it would be preferable to a o-eneral Government subsidy on production. Wisely spent, the money so collected should stimulate the demand for our dairy produce; and, to the extent that increased popularity in the United Kingdom may enable us to make better terms when the time comes I expenditure would be a national investment. Two essentials to this reto replace the Ottawa Agreement, the suit, however, are that the drive be on a big scale and that it be launched with a minimum of delay. We have no guarantee of a free market beyond August, 1935. “As to leadership, the dairy industry could do w r ith a period of dictatorship. ‘lts organisation i's loose and its control indecisive. Better that these weaknesses should be removed by amending the constitution of the boaid than that someone in.authority should get a bright idea of the Government s taking charge! As a rule, a reduction in the size of a board or committee increases its effectiveness; a method of ! election more liks that of. the Meat Board would make for better continuity of policy. There would be less tall: of 'Royal Commissions, and less need to worry about the future of dairying, were its affairs always and unreservedly in the most capable hands available. This is an aspect of the problem upon which 'Cabinet may be able to offer some advice u 7 hen it meets the boarn this week. ”