The New Zealand Times TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1926. FACTS WANTED-AND SUPPLIED

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12396, 16 March 1926, Page 6

The New Zealand Times TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1926. FACTS WANTED-AND SUPPLIED

All the way from beyond Pahiatua comes a protest against our criticism of the chairman of the Dairy Control Board. Our correspondent ' asks for “facts and figures” in support of our attitude toward Mr Grounds in especial. We thought we had supplied “facts and figures” sufficient to have demolished absolute control a dozen times over. What we shall say to “Dairyman” will be largely in the nature of repetition. Still, the Minister-in-charge may be listening in; Here, then, are a few facts:— (1) When the Dairy Control Bill was before the House, the late Prime Minister, the late'Minister for Agriculture, and Mr Grounds himself assured members that compulsion would be exercised only jn case of emergency. No emergency is discernible except to the board and those who wear the board’s spectacles. (2) Less than 50 per cent, of farmers voted on the Bill.- 1 (3) Replying to a delegation of North Taranaki producers, Mr Coates stated that “we [the Government] are aware that an election [of the board] should take place before compulsory control comes into operation.” (4) Mr Nosworthy, on the same occasion, expressed the opinion that “it would be better to fet control stand over for a while.” k (5) Absolute control in the near future will be a farce, as from eight to a dozen or more companies will be temporarily exempt from the operations of the Act. (6) Mr Grounds has put ft on record that, so far, he is not sure how the scheme is to be financed. (7) Big Business is private enterprise on a large scale. It is apprehensive, because it sees in the board’s policy ' a tendency which the Prime Minister has repudiated more than once. If “Dairyman” requires a few other facts we shall be glad to pass them on. His trouble is apparently a blind belief in the desirability of absolute control and the competence of the board to make a success of it. Will he tell uS why such extraordinary powers should be given the D.C.B. and withheld from the Meat Control Board? Will he tell us, also, where such another scheme is to be found outside New Zealand? Again, will he tell us why Mr Grounds and Co. should be allowed to disregard so coolly the Prime Minister’s ideas on this subject We are curious as to the silence of Mr Coates in face of his publicly-expressed view and the obvious determination of the board (or Mr Grounds) to inaugurate absolute control at the earliest possible moment. Mr Hawken, we-know, is a comipulsionist. If his words mean anything, Mr Coates is not. Is a Minister, then, to dictate to the head of the Government, and he a fledgeline Minister at that? , • s ’ The truth is that if the board is allowed thus to assume absolute control of the dairy industry, a large section of the community, including men just as expert in the trade as the members of the board, will want to know the reason why. Presently we hope that the Minister for Agriculture will come out into the open and reply unequivocally to our contentions.