DAIRY BOARD WAKES UP.

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 1 May 1934, Page 4

DAIRY BOARD WAKES UP.

A discussion at the last Dairy Board meeting on the subject of an "eat more cheese” campaign for New Zealand, reported in the latest issue of the "Exporter,” brings home very forcibly to the reader the need' that exists for •some 'such stimulation of the reasoning powers and initiative of the dairy industry as that which has been applied l by the Government’s recent assumption of responsibility for the industry’s future. The subject was introduced at the Board meeting by a letter from Mr F. H. Andetson, of Cambridge, omc of that small band of stalwarts who have refused to be discouraged in the fight for dairying rcTorm by the apathy of that very section of the community which the would-be reformers desire to help. Mr Anderson wrote asking the board to step outside it's strict province of export management and subscribe to the eo'st of a campaign designed' to' stimulate the consumption of cheese within New Zealand. The secretary stated that he had replied to Mr A'nderson informing him that, while the Board was in full sympathy with the suggestion, it was ■ prevented by legislation from incurring . expenditure along the lines suggested. The old stereotyped answer! Apparently it has never occurred to the Board to attempt to do one thing more for the industry than is laid down under the Aclt! The idea of striving for increased domestic consumption of cheese originated with the "Star” over a year ago and was strongly advocated by this journal over a period of months. The "Exporter,” in its current number, states that it is one of the plan's for the improvement of the industry "which has attracted most attention.” But still the Board slept on! Even at its last meeting, when some of the members praised the idea as though it were even now a novelty, the Board could mot see its way to go farther than to send a letter to factories drawing attention to the need for increasing the consumption of cheese and suggesting that only properly matured cheese of finest quality should be sold locally. The "Exporter” does its best for the Board by pointing out that exactly a vea'r ago the Board circularised all factories on the subject, urging upon them the desirability of o-no enraging domestic consumption by the supply of a better quality article than that ordinarily placed on the local market. The point is, however .that -the Board, if it saw the merit in the suggestion 1 that .it- now claim's to. do, should not have rested at one circular and then sucieumib to the industry’s apathy. Even though it had no statutory power, it was capable of wedding a groat deal of influence. It could have taken the matter up with the Government and pointed out that the Board, as an export organisation, realised that the industry was losing n great opportunity on the local market. It could have asked for powers to ex-

ploit this market. What government in] New' Zealand could have ignored a j strong demand in that direction from such a board? However, it was the old story of what is everybody’s business is nobody’s business. There is reason to hope, however, that, as the result of tlio investigations to be undertaken by the Dairy Commission, this matter of supplying the New Zealand market with a decent, properly graded cheese, instead of the H “export rejects” which have for the most part sufficed in the past, will very definitely become somebody’s business.