Regulating Produce

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 82, 7 April 1938, Page 7

Regulating Produce

| Setting-up of Commodity Councils 1 AUSTRALIAN CO-OPERATION United Press Association—By EUectrle Telegraph.—Copyright. SYDNEY, April 6. The principle of Empire trade as accepted by the Empire Producers’ Conference are certain to be endorsed by the Federal Government. It is slated at Canberra that the Govern--1 ment will co-operate with any plan lor the establishment of the commodity councils, with the object of regulating supplies of primary produce on the 1 Londou market. 1 Both Sir Reginald Dorman Smith, and the chairman of the conference, Mr. AI. P. Dunlop, a member of the Legislative Council, declared that the plan adopted by the conference Cn ; Monday was identical in principle with that proposed by the British delegation ■ on March 31. Resolutions were adopted urging the i passage of legislation for setting up marketing boards at the request of ! the producers concerned and financed and controlled by the producers for , orderly marketing through grower con- ; trol. ; The conference also recommended the r creation of a system of rural credits s where such were required to meet the s needs of agriculture. 5 The conference appointed committees representing dairying, wheat, meat, ; pigs, fruit and wool to implement the decisions.

PURPOSE OF CONFERENCE Received Wednesday, 9.30 p.m. SYDNEY, April 6. Sir Reginald Dorman Smith at the Empire Producers’ Conference to-day made a statement allaying the fears of restriction entertained by Australian dairy produce interests. He said: <r The United Kingdom delegation desires it officially to be placed on record that by no stretch of the imaginatiin can the endorsement by this conference of the Ottawa order of preference involve restriction of supplies of dairy produce to the United Kingdom market. “Indeed, it is hoped that none will become necessary. The firm intention of my delegation is to co-operate in every way with the Dominion producers’ organisations in order to avert the need of Government intervention. “Our understanding of the purpose of the conference is that the institution of commodity councils shall provide the best means of dealing with or warding off restriction of supplies, and my delegation gives an assurance that it will use its influence to that end.” MINISTER’S VIEWS ON COMMODITY COUNCILS Per Pres* Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. Commenting in regard to the Empire Producers ’ Conference proposals for the establishment of commodity councils for regulating supplies of primary produce on the London market, the Minis ter of Alarketing, the Hon. Walter Nash, said that there was an Empire Beef Council in London to which New Zealand sent delegates. “At the present moment,” he said, “we feel that to the extent that there is direct contact between the United Kingdom Government and the New Zealand Government, it gives better relations than the conference procedure. This does not mean tXit we are not unwilling at any time to discuss proposals for the regulation of trade, provided it does not lead to restriction while consumers’ demands are unsatisfied.”