GRADING LICENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21296, 24 September 1932, Page 8

GRADING LICENCE

AUCKLAND APPLICATION STRONG OPPOSITION VOICED Keference to the movement for obtaining a licence for grading dairy produce on behalf of the Auckland Dairy Produce Cold Storage Company, Limited, was made by Mr. J. E. Makgill, chairman of directors of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, Limited, at the annual meeting of the company yesterday. ' "During the past season we have had to meet a very strong bid by the Westfield Freezing Company to obtain a portion of the freezing of dairy produce," said Mr. Makgill. "A cold storage company was registered to use surplus storage space supposed to exist at Westfield. Yet building is already going on. The new company applied for a licence for grading dairy produce at the Westfield Company's works, but the Government has -not yet announced whether it will follow or ignore the almost unanimous verdict of the dairy farmers of the province, supported by the decision of the Dairy Produce Board, asKing the Government not to grant the licence. Once such a licence is granted it would open the door to the same process of elimination that has taken place in the farmers' freezing companies dealing with meat throughout New Zealand." Mr. Makgill said that many inaccurate statements had been published. The attempt to set dairy fanners and meat producers at variance by stating that the Auckland Freezing Company's rates were too low for meat and too high for dairy produce was a poor kind of proceeding. "Our company has grown from a very small beginning into an organisation which is now handling about one-fifUi of the whole export trade of the Dominion," said Mr. Makgill. "This has been possible' without its becoming dealers in the products handled and because of that policy. The campaign is designed to try and break down the strength of the company built up during the past 28 years on fair and just lines. I feel sure that the splendid support given by farmers to the company is sure evidence that they do not intend to allow the heritage built up by the company to be filched from them without a strong resistance."