DAIRY FACTORY ZONING.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 April 1937, Page 7

DAIRY FACTORY ZONING.

MAP OF MANAWATU AREA. ONLY A BASIS FOR DISCUSSION (By Telegraph—tress Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. In view of the number of inquiries received regarding the suggested plan of zoning of dairy factories in the Manawatu district, details of which were published recently, the deputy chairman of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, Sir Francis Fraeer, made the following statement for publication:— "The Commission's attention has been drawn to references in the Press to tho zoning map prepared by Messrs. Mills and McDonald, and it is apparent tihat a number of suppliers are under the" impression that the plan of zoning in conformity with the map in question has been finally approved by the Commission. This is not the case. Tho Commission considered the simplest and most astisfactory method of rationalising the collection of cream and tho manufacture of butter was uomo form of merger of a number of dairy companies in the central area. The companies were not unanimous regarding this and it was necessary to consider other methods.

"The Commission met representatives of the companies in conference on a number of occasions and at the last meeting it was agreed that Messrs Mil)* and McDonald should be deputed to prepare a map of the district on which would be plotted areas that would enable each butter factory to collect approximately the same volume of cream as at present but from a more compact area.

"Owing to the situation of different factories in relation to the supply areas, it was recognised that the method of conserving to each factory its present yolume of cream supplies 'was not ideal. It was necessary, however, to have a concrete plan that could be examinod in detail to serve as a basis for discussion and to indicate the means, of eliminating the overlapping in *ha cream collection- services that now exists.

"It was definitely understood at the meeting in question that no action would be taken until a further meeting with the companies had been held, That understanding still holds goodAfter the map had been prepared, thu Commission conferred with Messrs Mil-Is and McDonald and arranged for the deposit of the map in the office of the Manawatu Dairy Companies' Association at Palmerston North and notified representatives of the dairy companies that they were at liberty to examinfl it in order that they might familiarise themselves with the details and be ablP to discuss them at a later meeting with the clear understanding of all that w*s involved.

"The Commission proposes to call a further meeting next month when tho whole matter will be fully considered in the light of the information made available by the mapping of the district. It has not confirmed any plan of zoning and has no intention of making a decision until the matter has been considered at next month's meeting. "It was understood that the details of the map should be regarded as confidential until the companies met the Commission to discuss K t, it is regretted that the premature disclosure i which was not authorised by the Com-' mission, has caused a number of suppliers to think the Commission is in any way committed to adopt a system of zoning in conformity with the map in question. The map \s merely a starting point, and whether it is ultimately adopted, wholly or in part, or discarded altogether, it is necessary to have something of the kind in order to enable the next conference to have a concrete suggestion to discuss. "