THE DAIRY REGULATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2857, 16 December 1908, Page 9

THE DAIRY REGULATIONS.

MR M'NAB DEFENDED. (Fbom Ocb Own Cobbespondent.)

CHRISTCHURCH-, December 12.

Mr A. W. Rutherford, who was a member of the Stock Committee in the last Parliament, writes to the Times defending Mr M'Nab in regard to the dairy regulations. He says : — " It seems to me that Mt M'Nab has been most unjustly treated by a section of his political opponents. In connection with the dairy regulations the facts are that the dairying industry had grown to such a magnitude that the existing regulations reqiured material amendment. The agricultural department approved and took the matter in hand. New regulations were drafted on lines suggested by that department, and in due course were presented to the House. Mr M'Nab, following the .usual course, moved that they be referred to the .Agricultural', Pastoral, and Stock Committee. It was the function of that committe and not Mr M'Nab to revise the regulations. A. moss of evidence was given the committee by representatives from the principal dairying districts. The evidence furnished by these representative dairymen was carefully sifted, and wlien the regulations were in the course o± revision Mr M'Nab accepted all reasonable amendments. I was a member of the Agricultural, Pastoral, and Stock Committee, as was Mr Okey, the member for Taranaki, the principal dairy district within the Dominion. On the completion of the committee's work I asked Mr Obey what he thought of it,and he replied to the effect that he was satisfied it was all right, ivir Okey is a practical farmer — a man who has run his , own dairy and milked his own cows — and is a member of Mr Massey's party. \ If he is contented there can't- be much wrong with, the regulations. It has been said that the dairy regulations, with some assistance from the suggested Meikle grant of £5000, caused the defeat of Mr M'Nab. If so, he suffered from what was no fault of his. It followed as the obvious corollary to the judicial inquiry -that a , sum of money should be placed on the j Estimates. The amount rested with the j Government and with the House- Know- [ ing something of the position, I prefer , to think that Mr M'Nab's attitude on , the freehold versus leasehold question con- j tributed more to his defeat than the dairy regulations cr the Meikle grant. The ethics of political warfare may justify the combatants in making the most heinous of lying charges against the enemy, but surely when peace is proclaimed we should one and all ascend to the realms of truth; therefore, let justice be done Mr M'Nab." The Times thinks it is a- pity Mr Rutherford did not write the letter before , the election?. He could have told the ' story of the dairy l-egulations a month . ago jur-t as well as he tells it to-day.