DAIRY INDUSTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18397, 15 May 1934, Page 3

DAIRY INDUSTRY

REPLY TO CRITICISM UNECONOMIC COMPETITION A reply to criticism of the dairy industry and to the contention by the Minister of Finance, lit. Hon. J. G. Coates, in his recent address at Morrill,sville that the industry had failed to solve its internal problems, was made by Mr. J. E. Lceson, chairman of directors of the Morrinsville Cooperative Dairy Company, in an address to suppliers. Mr. Coates had stated that the dairy industry hud failed to stop uneconomic competition between different cooperative factories for the New Zealand butter market, said Mr. Leeson, but it was a fact that at the last conference of the National Dairy Association the dairy industry had been practically unanimous in its desire to stop cut-throat competition in the sale of butter in tho towns. However, the Government had not responded to the industry’s request for legislation to stop such competition. For the past three years the dairy industry had been urging the Government to divide the country into blocks for the purpose of a uniform system of inspection of dairy farm milkingsheds, as it was realised that the present system of inspectors working for the various companies was not satisfactory, continued Mr. Leeson. The industry was prepared to pay for the inspectors. But that request had 'been refused by the Government —a, Government which Mr. Coates said was so anxious to help the dairy producers. Mr. Coates had spoken of the desire of the Government to assist research into dairying problems, but he bad pot mentioned that the Government had cut, down its annual grant to Massey College dairy research station by £IOOO, with the result that the dairy industry had had to make up this amount so that this important work would not be stopped. Mr. Leeson also questioned Mr. Coates’ statement that t-he Dairy Produce Board was divided in its opinions. “I do not think the board was divided except on the question of the quota,” he said. The speaker also referred to the improvement in the quality of New Zealand butter in recent years.