Worried By Growing State Control Of Dairy Industry

Northern Advocate, 12 April 1940, Page 4

Worried By Growing State Control Of Dairy Industry

The tendency of the Government to usurp from dairy industry the right to an effective share in the control of its own industry was noted with growing .apprehension at yesterday’s ward conference of the New Zealand Dairy Board. Introducing a remit on these lines, Mr E. R. Bird (Kaitaia) said that the legislative trend had been noticeable long before the war emergency. Prosecution of the war by some form of regimentation* was quite understandable, but farmers questioned whether the detailed especial measures contained in the emergency regulations were justified, in view of the very wide powers already in the hands of the Government under the Marketing Act. Democratic Control. “We feel that ns the war we are engaged in is one for the preservation of Democracy, with its democratic institutions, it is not unfitting at this juncture we record our desire that, when hostilities cease, our democratic institutions of the co-operative dairy companies and the industry as a whole be preserved with as much liberty and authority as is consistent with the public welfare,” said Mr Bird, who went on to give specific instances where the State had usurped the authority of the industry. He had inquired of Mr Hale whether the Government, before putting through the special emergency regulation had approached the Dairy Board, if only as a matter of form, and had been told that no such action had been taken. Autocratic Rule. The dairy industry seemed almost alone in being autocratically ruled by those in authority, said Mr S. W. Smith (Bay of Islands), who seconded. The Government recently assured the Federation of Labour that no steps of major importance would be taken without consulting the federation, but the dairy industry had not been consulted in steps concerning its own welfare let alone the welfare of the country. The remit was carried.