DAIRY BOARD

Southland Times, Issue 20495, 25 May 1928, Page 8

DAIRY BOARD

MEMBER. RESIGNS HEATED WORDS WITH CHAIRMAN MR GOODFELLOW’S POSITION (Per United, Press Association.) Wellington, May 24. The Dairy Exporter contains a full account of the scene at the Dairy Board which culminated in Mr Goodfellow’s Resignation. The chairman, Mr Grounds, maintained his right to express his views in his monthly review and had done so on the export license question. Mr Hine said that the board rendered itself absolutely impotent through the action at the last meeting and destroyed what prestige it had. The responsibility could not be thrown on the Minister. Mr Goodfellow asked if the chairman’s review was subject to revision. The chairman said no ans never had been. Mr Goodfellow described the action of the chairman as grossly insulting. Mr Grounds said that his review was not insulting or unfair, but represented the position. He refused to accept Mr Goodfellow’s proposal that the board O.K. the review. He would not take Mr Goodfellow’s request for a ruling on the question. Mr Goodfellow said: I am not going to be subject to this dirty rubbish. Mr Goodfellow (after further talk) : “You will accept my resignation, gentlemen, please. Good-bye, gentlemen, I am off!” and left the room. The chairman said he felt quite justified in his attitude. STATEMENT BY MR. GOODFELLOW. Auckland, May 24. Mr. W. Goodfellow while not yet making a detailed statement regarding his resignation from the Dairy Produce Board; said that his position on the board during the last few months had been almost intolerable and that had it not been for the fact that he had felt his duty as representative of a large number of co-operative companies to protect their interests, he certainly would have resigned some time since. The board as at present constituted represented sectional interest, wasted a great deal of time and was in short an utter farce. If it was to do anything worth while in must be reorganized to suit the altered conditions. It had failed beyond recovery in its big objective and should now be reduced to a maximum of six producer members, say four from the North Island and two from the South Island and their powers confined to the following matters, shipping contracts, marine insurance contracts, advertising, overseas market reports from London and dissemination of news, authoritative information, matter of educational value, etc., and supervision of cold storage in New Zealand in transit and in Great Britain. Indicating that the step he had taken expressed the feeling of the majority of the board members, Mr. Goodfellow said he did not know what action would now be taken. The board had power under the Act to appoint someone to fill a vacancy. His term had still two years to run. There would be no meeting of the board until July 11. This would be the annual meeting at which the chairman would be elected.