DAIRY BOARD'S POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22161, 15 July 1935, Page 11

DAIRY BOARD'S POLICY

FIRST WARD CONFERENCE PROBLEMS OF MARKETING LONDON MANAGER'S VISIT [BY TEI.EGRAI>H OWN CORRESPONDENT] GISEORNE. Saturday The future policy of the Dairy Produce Board was outlined by the chairman of the board, Mr, A. J. Murdoch, M.P., at the first ward conference held by the newlyconstituted board. It was attended by dairy farmers from the East Coast, Gisborne and Wairoa districts, the directorates of the companies being strongly represented. Mr. Murdoch said the Dairy Board worked under the Executive Commission of Agriculture, which worked in conjunction with the Meat Producers' Board and all the other produce boards. In the main, the position would operate thus: —The directors of companies would make recommendations to the board, whose duty it was to sift and analyse those ideas with a view to putting them into practice. But, before adopting them, it must first consult the commission, which was the only body entitled to make recommendations to the Government. Mr. Murdoch believed the present arrangements would work harmoniously. " Gentlemen's Agreement " The old board had an agreement regarding marketing, but the speaker claimed it was not an agreement, for nothing was laid down in black and white. He considered a proper agreement, properly drawn and signed, should be entered into, so that both Australia and New Zealand must abide by it. The present agreement was a "gentlemen's agreement," hut the speaker said Australia did not keep it fully, selling just when the price suited. The board had approached Australia on the matter of working in co-ordination, and Australia had expressed a willingness to work with New Zealand. A meeting of representatives of the two countries had been arranged and an endeavour would be made to enter into an agreement, but unless it was a proper and binding one on both sides the New Zealand Dairy Board would not be a party to it. First-hand Information Regarding marketing policy, Mr. Murdoch had proposed that the board's London manager, Mr. H. E. Davis, should come to New Zealand so that the board and producers should secure first-hand information regarding the London end. Mr. Davis would arrive in New Zealand in six weeks' time and it was hoped to arrange meetings throughout New Zealand, so as to bring marketing problems before the producer. Local marketing was another question the board had discussed. At first the board had thought the matter simple, but since it had found it a very involved one. Indeed, the board would not move in the matter unless it had full information, for it was found the dairy companies were at the throats of each other at the expense of the industry as a whole. The overlapping of factories was being investigated. Some dairy companies had agreed not to trespass beyond certain boundaries, and in cases that was working well. The board wished companies to come together and make their own arrangements regarding zoning. Otherwise, some outside body would e to come in and force a plan on them. He would prefer, however, that the factories should come to an amicable agreement. Advertising Expenditure New Zealand was asked to contribute £II,OOO toward dairy research, and the board had arranged to contribute £6OOO and the Government £SOOO, and that arrangement would continue for at least two years. The great growth of the industry, said Mr. Murdoch, warranted judicious and continuous advertising. One splash in a newspaper was insufficient. It had to be done continuously, taking one section of the country at a time ""'th a concentrated effort. r lhe new board had not disturbed the advertising campaign adopted by the old board. A Voice: £20,000 is a lot of money. Mr. Murdoch replied that when one .considered the big industry behind it and the millions of pounds' worth of produce to be sold, £20,000 was not a great amount. . In conclusion, Mr. Murdoch asked the dairy farmers to help the board all they could by making any recommendations thev had for the improvement of the industry. The board wished to get everything possible out of the industry for the man who produced the goods.