HONEY CONTROL BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 12

HONEY CONTROL BOARD.

REQUEST FOR AN INQUIRY. SUPPORT FROM AUCKLAND. ' CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTION. A request for a thorough investigation of the working of the Honey Control Board has been made to the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. 0. J. Hawken, by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Following on representations on the. subject from the 'Westland Chamber of Commerce, the council had inquiries made and at its last meeting decided to accord its support to the demand for an inquiry. The attention of the Minister has been drawn to the subject in the following letter;— "It has been brought to the notice of this chamber that although the sum of one penny a pound is levied by the HoneyControl Board on account of advertising, this money has clearly not been spent to advantage, as is shown by the fact that at various times very large stocks of honey have beon held in London, amounting apparently at one time during the past twelve months to-aa much as twice the annual turnover.

"Approximately 6 per cent, of the tarnover, at the same time, appears to be absorbed in interest charges incurred on account of past losses. Futhermore, the accounts of the Control Board are presented in such a way, and are apparently so inter-related with those of the New Zealand Honey Producers' Association, that it seems impossible for interested persons outside of that association to ascertain the real. position.*' The letter 'adds that in view of these the chamber feels justified in directing the notice of the Minister to the matter and urging that he should have the position investigated, with particular attention as to whether the Control Board is really satisfactorily fulfilling the objects for which :it was set up.