DAIRY FARMERS’ UNION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 20

DAIRY FARMERS’ UNION.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. PALMERSTON N., .July 1. A remit carried at the annual conference of the Dairy Farmers' Union reaffirmed the principle of one man one vote, in connection with the election of members of the Dairy Control Board. The conference also urged that a Govern* ment stamp indicating the contents be attached to all manures supplied to farmers, -and also a weight guarantee. Further, that the Government should assist farmers financially to secure fertilisers at reasonable prices, and take immediate action to lower the price. The last clause was similarly carried at the Jersey Breeders’ annual meeting to-day. DAIRY CONTROL. COMPLAINT AGAINST PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, June 30. Air Holland intimated his intention of asking the Postmaster-General whether ho had seen in the New Zealand Dairy ProExporter of June 26 a statement to the effect that the Press Association suppressed an important statement made by the chairman of the Dairy Produce Export Control Board in exposure of an attempt by methods of falsehood to damage the New Zealand dairy industry, and whether since the concession (in the form of reduced charges for press telegrams) to newspapers forming the Press Association constitute a heavy charge on the public revenues the Minister would take steps to ensure that the concession mentioned would not be used by the Press Association to the advantage of the other side ? In a note the Leader of the Opposition pointed out that the following cablegram appeared in the London Daily Mail of April 21 last. From the editor of the New Zealand Times to the Daily Mail: The New Zealand Times says editorially: —“The New Zealand Dairv Control Board’s London manager, Mr Wright, will fix the selling price from day to day for the whole Dominion output, and that the board employs Mr Wright to extract the last possible penny that the consumers will pay. Will the British public stand for such price fixing? (Signed) Marris, editor.” Continuing, Mr Holland said that the New Zealand Dairy Produce Exporter reports that, addressing the South Island Dairy Association on June % Mr W. Grounds (chairman of the Dairy Board), in referring to the cablegram in question, * said: “That statement as cabled is untrue both in substance and in fact. It does not outline the policy of the board, and moreover it does not indicate what was said in the New Zealand Times, for it misrepresents the editorial by making a positive statement of what the Times inferentially suggested. It is naturally a reflection against the interests of the whole country and warrants the utmost public condemnation.” Mr Holland said that the Exporter further points out that no reference whatever was made to the general press, but that * notwithstanding that fact the way the Press Association dealt with Mr Grounds’s exposure was to send out the following single sentence, which distorted the whole position: “Mr Grounds stated also that ho considered that the press criticism of the board was at the time bordering on unfair tactics.”