Protest Against State Mishandling Of Foodstuff

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1939, Page 7

Protest Against State Mishandling Of Foodstuff

f Per Press Association. Copyright .] WELLINGON, This Day.

At the annual conference of the New Zealand Grain Seed and Produce Merchants’ Federation a long discussion took place regarding the difficult conditions prevailing in the trade as a Government interference in trading, consequence of the wide extent of Fifty delegates from all parts of the Dominion unanimously carried the following resolution: “This meeting protests against the Govcrment mishandling of important •foodstuffs to, the detriment of the public’s pocket and convenience, and asks that the Government in future leave the handling of these lines to the commercial community.

“Three samples of the Government’s mishandling are;

“Onions.—The Government this year prohibited merchants importing and became the sole importer, with what result ?

“In August, the Government misread the market and heavily ever-imported Japanese onions. The result was that the public paid

exorbitant prices,

Thousands of Pounds Lost,

“In September the Government again misread the market and went to the other extereme by importing a hopelessly insufficient quantity of onions.

“The result was a famine in onions, and exorbitant prices paid by the public. “Potatoes.—Many hundreds of tons of potatoes were shipped to South America in 1938, the Government again misreading the market. The result was many thousands of pounds lost to New Zealand.

“General principles.—lnstead of the public interests being served, the public’s pocket is being broached because Government servants, whose ability we fully respect in their own sphere, are allotted commercial undertakings for, which they have neither the training nor the experience.

Public Pays to Cover Mistakes.

“Under monopolistic control ■ / the Government buys badly and, being the sole importer, it covers up its mistakes by making the public pay. Under private enterprise, if one merchant errs in buying, the competition of other merchants gives the public the benefit.

“Therefore, in the public interests, the Government should retire from . these experiments leaving private enterprise to service the public.” Mr J. R. Howie (Auckland) was - unanimously appointed president of * the Federation for the ensuing year_ and Mr G. Buxton Green (Timaru) •■ ■ was elected vice-president. V* •*;