WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1926, Page 2

WELLINGTON NEWS

UNRELIABLE STATEALENTS

(Special to “ Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON, April 28,

It seems that one cannot accept the statements made by the Dairy Control Board or its Chairman, for such statements it appears do not always convey the whole of the facts. The other day Mr W. Grounds, the Chairman of the Board, announced that- a reduction in the agents’ commission from 2) per cent to 2 per cent had been secured, and this meant a saving of £IOO,OOO ]>er annum. For this statement Air Ground has been taken to task by the New Zealand Producers’ Free Marketing League, who in a letter to a Wellington paper point out that at tho most the saving could not amount to £90,000, but from this must be deducted over one-third of the butter output which was already handled on a 2 per cent basis. Next must he deducted the expense incurred by the Board lit engaging a very large staff of accountants and clerks throughout New Zealand and London to carry out the important detail work which was previously done by tho agents and their employees. In New Zealand alone it is said that some 300 to 400 men and women are solely employed in the handling and shipping of dairy produce. At present, factories receive their advances, the goods are stopped, and final results are cabled from Loudon and paid out promptly. The League points out that everything works moothly, for the simple reason that there is a highly efficient organisation of accountants and clerks in the background. Incidentally, many of these people will he thrown out of employment, hut that is not the question at the moment. 1 The point we wise to bring out is,” observes the League, “ how can all this work be done by the Board without very great expense, which must be deducted from the savings m commission. Perhaps Mr Grounds thinks he can do the work with a small staff and for a few thousand pounds, but when it comes to actual practice he will find that tiro cost will make a big hole in tho saving in com mission, and that the Board will have to be very fortunate to inaugurate and build up, in a day, so to speak, an organisation which xvill do the work satisfactorily. A saving of £IOO.OOO would not increase the payout to the dairy farmer by one-eighth of a. penny per pound on his butterfat. If, as we have pointed out llic actual saving is only a few thousand pounds, the gain to the dairy farmer is nilitessinial, especially when compared with the risks he is taking under control.” THE CABINET-MAKER. The Nation’s Cabinet needs reconstruction. and the country elected a cabinetmaker, who according to the slogan of election time was, “The mail who got things done.” Air Coates has had this cabinet-making job in hand for sonic time, and lie does not seem to have got any further forward with his job. Air Coates is disappointing bis friends and giving delight to his opponents. Instead of getting things done, things are getting tom down. Alany people, and ardent Reformers too. are beginning to realise that the Prime Alinislei- is an adept at bluff, and bluff does not necessarily mean ability. Tbc country was told that after the Christmas holiday tho new. Cabinet would be announced, now lie says that “ an announcement will be made in due time,” and stated to a reporter that he was not going to make any statement until lie was ready to do so, newspaper criticisms and suggestions notwithstanding. This is the obvious answer one expects from a gentleman with a swelled head, and not that of a cabinet-maker handy with his tools and competent. People arc putting their own interpretations on the delay, and the general opinion appears to he that he is between the devil'and the deep sea. ■t is recognised that lie is not the strong man, the Heaven-sent statesman tnat many were led to believe he was. The delay is in a large measure due to the wire-pulling and underground engineering that is going on, mid it seems that whatever selections are made for Cabinet, there is certain to lie tremendous dissatisfaction and defections from the party. It is also believed that there is a tussle going on within the present Cabinet, and one -Minister Who is politically as strong as the Prime Alinister, and a more accomplished politician, and a better tactician may upend Air Coates and secure the leadership. I here is more in this Cabinet business than appears on its polished surface.