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Southland Times, Issue 25434, 5 August 1944, Page 7

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Plan For Increased Production (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 4. Disappointment with the address of the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) to the dairy conference was again expressed later in the conference by the chairman, Mr W. E. Hale. Mr Hale said they had all expected the Prime Minister would have indicated what changes the Government proposed to make in the financial proposals for the increased production plan. Instead they were told to go back to the Stabilization Commission; but previous negotiations had proved unsatisfactory. Mr Hale gave a full review of the negotiations for an increase in the butterfat price of 1.99 d, the most unsatisfactory feature of which had been the commission’s inability to implement its own recommendation of 1.47 d.

Several delegates congratulated the chairman on his spontaneous response to the Prime Minister after the address.

In response to inquiries from delegates, the technical officer to the Dairy "Board presented estimates of what the increased prices would mean. He said the increase on butterfat for retrospective payments would be 4.25 d and on cheese 4.15 d. The contract prices for the next two years would amount to 5.43 d butterfat for butter and 5.41 d butterfat for cheese. On the present output the forward contract would mean approximately £4,370,000 (N.Z. currency) in payment for butter and £1,690,000 (N.Z. currency) in payment for cheese. A recommendation by Mr S. W. Smith, M.P., that the industry should press for an increase of 1.99 d plus any ascertainable costs apart from wage reward met with strong support from several delegates. After discussion it was referred to the Dairy Industry Council to set up a committee and bring down a report.