PRODUCTION TARGETS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27196, 27 September 1949, Page 6

PRODUCTION TARGETS

INCREASE DEFENDED MR WALSH REPLIES TO MR HALE PA WELLINGTON, Sept 26. “It is time to put aside personal recriminations and get behind the production drive,” said Mr F. P. Walsh, chairman of the Aid for Britain National Council, commenting to-day on production targets in the dairy industry. Mr Walsh was replying to Mr W. E. Hale, chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board, who in a statement at Auckland said the dairy industry neither wanted nor needed Mr Walsh to name production targets for it. Mr Walsh said: “Mr Hale continues to accuse me of setting the 25 per cent, target increase in production without consulting the Dairy Board, although I showed in my recent talks with the Federated Farmers’ Dominion Council that a 20 per cent, increase in exports was first agreed to by Mr W. Marshall and Mr R. A. Candy, members of the Dairy Products Marketing Commission, when they were in London in 1948. All I have done is to bring this 20 per cent, export increase up to a 25 per cent, total production increase to cover the increases in our population by 1955 and the loss of up to 10,000 tons in expor.ts if butter rationing should, as we hope, be discontinued by then. If this extra 5 per cent, production is not provided for, the dairy industry’s increased exports will be at the most 15 per cent, and not the 20 per cent, aimed at. “As for who worked out the number of cows, workers’ houses, etc., involved in this increase, and why the boards were not consulted, surely Mr Hale is aware that after the obligation had been assumed, the chairman of the Dairy Products Marketing Commission placed this task squarely in the hands of the Government. In his letter of December 16, 1948, the chairman of the commission, Mr Marshall, drew the attention of the Minister of Marketing to the terms of the agreement that Mr Marshall and Mr Candy, on behalf of the dairy industry, had concluded earlier that year and said, * The specific problem of ways and. means of achieving increased production is one which does not come within the province of this commission. It is desired, however, to draw your attention to the production aspect associated with the long-term contract, so that you may give consideration to the question of placing the matter before the Department of Agriculture.’ “ Surely as chairman of the Dairy Board. Mr Hale was not unaware that the Government had been thus called upon by the dairy industry itself to assist, in carrying out the industry’s obligation. The Government promptly asked the Department of Agriculture to work out what was involved, and the figures I quoted some time ago were the result and were first given to our Ne\y Zealand farmers by Mr E J. Fawcett, Director-general of the Department of Agriculture. They are not targets; they are simply an assessment of what is involved in the agreements made by our farmers’ representatives, both meat and dairying, in 1948. Mr Hale has frequently complimented the Department of Agriculture on its ability and the service it has given to the farmer. Never have such compliments been better justified than in preparation of this valuable and comprehensive report. If Mr Hale is interested in helping get these increases he should get in line with the farmers who are already giving such splendid help while he concentrates on berating me or'the Government.”