Hokianga Honours Hon. W. Grounds

Northern Advocate, 9 March 1945, Page 2

Hokianga Honours Hon. W. Grounds

(Special) RAWENE. This Day. In the natural setting provided by the little green compound at the rear of the Hokianga Dairy Company’s office at Motukaraka, 'cross river from this township, a gathering of possibly 200 people met yesterday to do honour to one of Hokianga's most famous personalities, the Hon. W- Grounds, M.L.C., on the occasion of his retirement from the directorate of the dairy company. Masxr of ceremonies was the newlyeiected. chairman of directors (Mr A. R. Cox, of Cue), who welcomed visitors and representatives of other dairy factories. He introduced a charter director of the company, Mr H. C. Harris, of Kohukohu, who outlined some of the company's early history. Tributes From Kaitaia Company Chairman of directors of the Kaitaia Dairy Company (Mr E. R. Bird), representing “Hokianga’s closest company in more senses than one,” joined in wishing Mr Grounds long years of life and work. “We have looked at his work from over the hill for many years with admiration,’’ he said. “He tried throughout his public life to do what we have all tried to do —raise the lot of the man on the land. He helped Hokianga build its co-operative factory. He. is a good co-operator, and when a man is that, lie is a gentleman, Mr Grounds headed the school of thought which tried to secure for the farmer his full rights and he was a big factor in that classic fight of years ago.” Mr. Bird appealed in all farmers to follow their produce through from the cream-stand to the other end. “Every day the city population is growing, while ours in the country is falling,” he declared. “So long as we accept that our brightest children arc wasted in the country. we will slip back. Wc should realise that only the best is good enough for the farm home. (Applause). It is your job and mine to see that the country life is more attractive than any other for our Children. “The industry is losing in Mr. Grounds’ retirement,”, continued Mr. Bird, “its greatest leader, who fought for co-oper-ative marketing. He slumped this country and won his battles everywhere until he got to London, where political considerations of the day beat him —and beat you and me. “Let us be proud we are farmers,” he concluded. "We are the greatest producers per unit of labour in the world. Lift up your eyes to the hills and presuit farming to the- world as a co-opera-tive enterprise. We need other co-opera-tive measures; we need co-operative money. It behoves all farmers to realise I liar the big fight in the future will be between three philosophies—commercialism run riot as envisaged by the city interests, the national socialism of bureaucratic- dictatorship. and co-operative enterprise suc-h as we now advocate." Battle Was Not. Really Lost Another director of the Kaitaia Dairy Company, Mr. C. B. Mi chic, recalled when Mr. Grounds was a national—no, an Empire—figure. Although his main objective may have been beaten in London, said Mr. Michie. he would question whether Mr. Grounds had lost his battle for the farmers. “We are going through a siorm now.” he continued, “but the future will be the more easily dealt with because of the efforts Mr. Grounds put into the formal ion of the Dairy Board 20 years ago. He played n lone hand, but those of us who were privileged xo fight under his leadership knew his qualities. We were always conscious of slander, of abuse, of underground opposition, of people speaking with iheir tongues in their cheeks. Never once did I see Mr. Grounds the least perturbed or pur out of step by it all. He was always equal to any occasion and was an inspiration as a leader’. On his work rests much of the industry’s foundation today.

Mr. Cox, before calling on the guest of honour to speak, said that he had brought great honour on the company and on the whole district, when he was elected first chairman of the Dairy Board. He had left, by his retirement, a great gap in the company. Mr. Cox then presented Mr. Grounds, on behalf of the shareholders, with a reading chair and a substantial cheque for tire purchase of books to his own liking. Mr. Grounds Looks Back ’T am overwhelmed by memories of many experiences,” said Mr. Grounds in reply. "Like Mark Anthony, i would say. •Friend;;, Ngapuhis. countrymen —.' In our negotiations to set up the Dairy Board the northern delegation prided themselves 1 upon being known.as the Ngapuhis. Principal rnngatira was Tom Bassett, of Northern Wairoa. “There can be no doubt,” he asserled, “that although our main. battle seemed lost, the lalev trend of marketing was along the very lines we had advocated.” He paid tribute to the Kailaia directors as having always been co-operative. “If others were the same,” said Mr. Grounds, “there would be no doubt as to the future of the industry.” He also paid respect to the numerous instances of second generation activity among' directors of the i Hokianga company. j After recalling a gathering on the same spot 30 years'ago, when the factory was opened, Mr. Grounds said that less than | 30 tons of butter had been produced in the ‘ first year. Although all advisers had | urged I hem not to start, a factory with | less than 500 cows behind ihcm, they had begun with a guarantee of only 417 cows. The second year, 50 ions of butter had been produced, and all the company's troubles had seemed to be over. Directors in those days were paid 10/per meeting, and no other remuneration. AU were worse off than they were today, and all took :i good day to get to and from the meeting, while one, who lived at Taheke. took as much as three days. There had been many sacrifice's, but it was all experience which could now guide the future. Glim Picture Of The Future “Speaking as one who has followed the development of the industry, I want: to say that the coming years are going to be more difficult than anything in the past.” added Mr. Grounds. “New Zealand will have great troubles in winning the peace. The war has shattered our world of plenty and put in its place a world of destruction. “We hear, talk of debt-free money and its issuarce. as if that would solve all our woes.” he said "Only the other day I surveyed the money available for the people of this country to spend. The figure was £312.000.000, in the banks and savings accounts. One-thircl of it was in rhe Post Office Savings Bank, which is the bank of the working people-. Let no one say our money is in the wrong hands. There is no shortage of money, only of , materials. We need to revive the cooperative spirit that was used to estab- ! fish this factory to set up once more ■ a world of plenty. 1 “The trials of the future will hit everybody. Inflated costs and prices are np- 1 parent to all. but there must come a 1 period of breaking down. Both price and J wage levels’ must be altered substantially, ‘ or, alternatively, the value of money de- ; predated. : "Unless-we visualise these experiences to come, and resolutely band together to | overcome them, we shall go through a ] certain amount, of revolt from the dissat- ] isfied and the misunderstanding. Every- J one should be able to live and have his • full share of the advantages in the coming ’world.”