FORMAL OPENING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22726, 12 May 1937, Page 14

FORMAL OPENING

SPEECH BY TELEPHONE THE FUTURE OF DAIRYING PRICE AND MARKETING POLICY [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Tuesday > The principal speech at the openi ing of the Waikato Winter Show this > afternoon was delivered in Wellington ' by the acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. ! P. Eraser, and was telephoned to 1 Bledisloe Hall. On reception the speech ■ was amplified and could be heard with remarkable clearness throughout the J whole of the show buildings. ' Among those on the dais were the 5 president of the Waikato Winter Show Association, Mr. J. Ballard, the Mayor, 5 Mr. J. I?. Fow, Messrs. C. A. Barrel!, R. Coulter and A. F. Moncur, M.P.'s, the Hon. T. Cotter, M.L.C., Mr. J. T Mulcare, leader of the Westland farmers' party, and officials of the association. ; A cordial welcome to all exhibitors, - patrons, and visitors was extended by > Mr. Ballard, who said that the show i had been advanced by several weeks 3 this vear in order to coincide with the i Coronation. It was very gratifying to - find that in spite of the change of date - and the infantile paralysis restrictions > the interest in the show had not waned. The health authorities had assured the executive there was no cause for alarm, and the children had been barred from the show only as a pre--1 cautionary measure, j £60,000 Building Scheme | Mr. Ballard said the association had i approved of an extensive building I scheme costing £60,000, so confident ' was it in the future of tho show and the progress of the town and district. ' The speaker paid a tribute to the organising work done bv the secretary, s Mr. W. H. Paul, to whose efforts tho 1 success of the fixture was largely due. ! He also, thanked the stewards and [ other officials who had done so much : to make the show what it was. ■ The Mayor, Mr. J. R. Fow, welcomed the visitors to the town, especially those comprising tho Westland > farmers' party. Mr. Fow said the Wai- • kato Winter Show Association had reached an impregnable position and ! could face the future with confidence i and equanimity. He congratulated tho 1 executive and secretary on the work they had done and on their decision not to regard the panicky criticism ■ that had been offered to tho holding ; of the show this week. Concluding, Mr. Fow referred to the educational and entertainment features of the show, and he trusted that the ' exhibition would meet with the success | it merited. Tribute to the Pioneers ; In his address, the Hon. P. Fraser ■ said the Waikato Winter Show was 1 established 31 years ago, just as the 1 Waikato was emerging as a dairying district. It had expanded with the disi trict, which was now regarded as one . of the richest dairying areas in the world, and it had reached a point which the most optimistic of its promoters _ had not foreseen. The pioneers of the show and of co-operative dairying in the Waikato deserved the gratitude of , the country. The speaker paid a tribute to their memory. Dairying was one of the greatest industries in New Zea- • land, and in spite of the low pricelevels of recent years tho receipts from ■ this source represented 35 per cent of i tho total value of New Zealand's . exports. i The Minister said he was greatly impressed with the amazing expansion of the industry during the last few years. The export of butter had doubled since 1921, while the output of cheese had increased by 50 per cent in the last. 10 years. In spite of the growth that had been made the industry was capable of still further expansion, and its prosperity was bound up with the welfare of the Dominion. The Government had been greatly exercised with the future of the industry, and its aim was to maintain production and at tho same time offer an adequate standard of living to the producers. Before the election the Government had promised that it would bring down legislation to benefit the farmers, and he claimed that those promises had been kept in the terms of the Mortgagors Rehabilitation Act and the guaranteed price for dairy produce. Guaranteed Price Mr. Fraser said he was pleased to be able to say that the administration of the guaranteed price system and the regulation of shipments and marketing had proceeded without a hitch. The Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, had recently stated that the relations between the New Zealand Government and the selling agents were of a most harmonious character. Since February the price of butter had advanced by 19s and cheese by 14s 6d per cwt., while the present prices were 20s and 15s respectively above the prices of a year ago. Mr. Fraser claimed that the improvement indicated that the present marketing system was a distinct improvement on the old system and that the selling agents welcomed the change. The aim of the Government was to regulate arrivals of dairy produce at the Home ports in order to meet the requirements of the trade. At the present time consideration was being given to all the relevant factors before next season's guaranteed price was fixed. A representative committee was at work investigating farm and factory costs and this committee wotdd make a recommendation to the Government to enable it to fix a price which would ensure to the producers a reasonable standard of living. The committee had already made a recommendation with regard to the cheese industry, and an announcement on the point would be made shortly. The speaker said he felt sure that the Government's policy would have tho solid backing of the dairying industry. Conditions of the People Other measures designed to improve the conditions of the people were receiving consideration. One of these was to improve the primary and secondary educational facilities for country children in order to give them the same advantages as those living in the towns. Concluding, Mr. Fraser expressed the hope that the show would he an outstanding success. He extended the Government's good wishes to tho people of the Waikato. Mr. J. Mulcare. lender of the Westland farmers' party, thanked the people for the hospitality the visitors had received, and he congratulated the association on the magnificent show. He and his friends had been greatly impressed with what they had seen of tho Waikato farms Mr. Mulcare described tho features of Westland, and concluded by wishing the show every success. The Mayor apologised for the absence of Professor W. Biddet. who was unable to be present owing to illness, and in his place and on behalf of the association, he declared the exhibition open.