AGRICULTURAL MATTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22630, 23 July 1935, Page 13

AGRICULTURAL MATTERS

THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION TOUR IN WAIKATO PRELIMINARY WORK OUTLINED (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, July 22. The preliminary work of the Executive Commission of Agriculture was described by Sir Francis Frazer, deputychairman of the commission. Sir Francis, in company with Messrs G. A. Duncan and David Jones, members of the commission, arrived' in Auckland on Sunday from the Waikato at the conclusion of a series of discussions with representatives of the dairy industry. The commission had associated with it Messrs C. A. Marchant and W. E. Hale, members of the New Zealand Dairy Board. Much of the work already done by the commission, stated Sir Francis, had been purely of a preliminary nature, and the recent visit to Waikato was the first occasion on which it had left Wellington since its inauguration. Progress had been made in dealing with various matters that had accumulated and the commission was already functioning as a co-ordinating body between the Departments of Agriculture, of Scientific and Industrial Research, and of Industries and Commerce and the Dairy Produce Board, with each of which it was associated in a number of matters.

“ Our visit to Waikato,” Sir Francis said, “ was to open negotiations with different dairy companies on the matters of zoning and rationalisation of the collection of cream supplies. It was the first visit of the commission and was made in conjunction with members of the Dairy Board. As both bodies have many interests in common it was decided that we should have associated with us two members of the board, so that both bodies should be fully acquainted with the position. In this way any regulations that the commission may find necessary to institute can be fully discussed with the board before being put into operation.” While in Hamilton the combined party met in all representatives of nine dairy companies, stated Sir Francis, and on Saturday paid a visit to Raglan. What had transpired had been of a confidential nature, but the general aim had been the exploring of possible bases for an agreement between the different interests concerned.

In Auckland Sir Francis and hia colleagues had a full day discussing various matters in connection with the dairy industry and left for Wellington by the Limited Express to-night. Denying the rumour that he might shortly go to Great Britain to study marketing conditions, Sir Francis said that no consideration had been given to the matter and that the commission had far too much work ahead of it for such a visit to be a possibility in the near future.