WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 December 1925, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DAIRY CONTROL

MINISTER REPUDIATES NEWSPAPER REPORTS.

(Special to ” Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON, December 17

Much interest has been aroused in dairy circles throughout the Dominion bv the newspaper reports of an interview between the I foil J. C. Coates, the Prime Minister, and the Hon W. Nosworthy. the Minister of Agriculture, and representatives of the Free Marketing League at New Plymouth last week. The purpose of the members of the League in seeking the interview was to urge upon the Minister the substitution of the ward system for the present system, of electing members of the Dairy Board and tin- abandonment of the system <>l absolute control about to be instituted bv the Board. Both the Ministers appeared according to the reports appearing in the papers, well disposed towards the introduction of the ward system of election. Mr Nosworthy said Parliament, not the Government, was responsible for the present system of election. Tie had proposed that the system should ho the one applied to the election of the Meat Board, but a majority of the members of the House had thought differently. The Government. however, had practically agreed to alter the system and the now system probably would be the ward system. M',. Coates declared that the Government wanted the ward system and would use every effort to bring it into operation. Oil this point the - mi.' ters. and the members of the deputation appear to have been of one numb COM PULSION. As fhe papers report the proceedings there seems also to have been some approach towards unanimity on the question of “ absolute control.” the one feature of the policy of the Dairy Board to which Hie Free Marketing

League, takes uncompromising exception. The members of the deputation had expected some sympathy from the Prime Minister on this point, his slogan “ More Business in Government, less Government in Business” having made its appeal to them; but they were very agreeably surprised to find tho Minister of Agriculture tailing in. us they thought. with their views. “ After referring to the great need ol

organisation at the present time to enable New Zealand to hold its place in the world’s markets,” the summary of Mr Xosworthy's remarks ran in the papers. ” he said that if tie were to cut control out of the Act lie would he doing harm to the producers. I hat was only his personal view, lie thought, however, that it. would be better to let control stand over for a while.” Replying to an interjection by a member of the deputation that Mr Massey and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee which approved the original Bill had said that compulsory control would be brought into effeei only in eases ol emergency, Mr Nosworthy appeared still iurther to commit himself. “ May I say.” lie is reported to have asked. “Unit when I put that clause into the Bill it was not my intention that it. should he brought into operation, ft was to bo hroiight in only by a hoard elected under the most satisfactory system.” The Prime Minister's comment upon Dm position was that if the question were ill t tie hands of men of outstanding ability and men who could he trusted there should be no difficulty. MR NO,WORTHY DISCLAIMS. At least a -core of leading papers luivr published reports of the proceedings at i lie meeting between the Minister.- and Cue representatives of the Free Marketing League ar New Ply-

month in substance ideal ically the ■mmo as I la' one I'mm which the above quotations have been taken. Tint when -,.,-*ll to-day ami asked it they correctly represented his views, Mr Xoswortliy stated emphatically that they .lid no I. What he had said, he averred, had been utterly distorted and. he leared. wilfully distorted. lie rarely read llie papers They were not helpful and hi' did not care two straws what ihey said about himself. B»f on his way South, two days alter the deputation id 'sew 'Plymouth lie had read a leader iir the ' Post " in which it was stated ilial “ Mr Nosworthy. the -taunchesl among Ministers bn

eompulsory control, admitted at New Plymouth that absolute control had better stand over." He realised at once that the " Post ” had been trapped like a number of other papers had been by interested people, but lie did not think- it his business to set the paper about tilings of that sort he would leave no time left for his job. He never had said ii was not his intention to bring the eompulsory clause into operation, and lie never had said or implied that it would he hotter to let control stand over for a while. He absolutely repudiated the words that had been mil into his mouth. KI,MOTION AND CONTROL. Having expressed very frankly his opinion of the individuals and organi-

sations and papers he knew to have misrepresented him in this and many other matters Mr Nosworthy said the happenings of the last few months had confirmed him in his belief that ‘'absolute control." which meant organisation and regulation, was essential to the continued development and prosperity of the country’s primary industries! Vnless the farmers looked alter their own interests they never would reap the iust reward of their labours. That fact was being demonstrated daily all over the country, lie had no objection to the. ward system of elec-tion—-it might he the very best system that could he devised—hut it was tor the producers themselves to decide how they would carry on their own business. As for compulsion, the Government lmd no 1 lower to veto the determination of the Hoard to take charge of dairy produce intended for export as from August 1 next, and the election of one member from the Ninth Island and two from the North Island next year was not likely to affect the settled policy of the Board. He was expressing his own persosnl views on these suhiects, as he had conferred nidi of his colleagues: but he thought he might safely assume the Cabinet would'' follow constitutional methods.