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Southland Times, Issue 21895, 22 December 1932, Page 5

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CONTROL BOARDS MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCE OBJECTION TO POWERS (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, December 21. An emphatic protest against the reported request of the Associated Chambers of Commerce that the Government bring in legislation with a view to depriving the Meat and Dairy Boards of their existing rights whereby they control the shipping and marketing of meat and dairy produce, was registered by the executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in a letter read at a meeting to-day of the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce. The letter stated the union would not like to see either the Meat or Dairy Control Acts repealed and considerable criticism had been directed at the Associated Chambers over its action in advocating that repeal. The meeting decided to reply pointing out that the union had an altogether wrong impression of the attitude of the association. The latter had not opposed the voluntary organization of producers which indeed it was only too willing to assist, but it was against the extreme powers vested in the produce boards as those powers were, in its opinion, opposed to the interests of producers and the country generally. The association was advocating the repeal, not of the legislation under which the various produce boards operated, but the clauses in the Acts which gave power to boards to assume absolute control of produce. That power was a strong deterrent to the efforts of private firms and companies in. seeking new markets overseas for dairy produce and meat, since boards could forcibly take over those markets once they were established. Under the Fruit and Honey Boards, which were actually applying absolute control, a private merchant was at present not permitted to operate in markets he himself had originally established.