CONTROL ARGUED

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 64, 7 June 1927, Page 13

CONTROL ARGUED

DAIRY BOARD ELECTION INTEREST IN TARANAKI CANDIDATES ACTIVE (.Special to THE SLY.) HAWERA, To-day. The Dairy Control Board election is assuming important proportions in Taranaki and candidates are exceedingly active. Speaking at Midhirst, Mr. Hine, supporting free-marketing, emphasised the fact that the question at issue was whether the dairy companies should manage their own affairs or whether they should again allow the Control Board to mismanage them next season. He contrasted the miserable advances made by tlie board with the liberal payments of last year, and showed how promises made by Mr. Grounds and his colleagues that the board’s system of finance would be much superior to pre-control methods, had not materialised. He warned his hearers that many costlier “wild cat” schemes would yet be imposed on them unless they returned members to the board pledged to free-market-ing. Mr. T. H. Forsyth, a member of the Control Board, had a small meeting at New Plymouth, the attendance being below 20. He claimed that if the board had made a levy of £60,000 it had saved £BO,OOO in commission and large sums in lesser rates of insurance and lower shipping freights. Mr. Forsyth expressed the desire to see moderate control continue with the price-fixation policy quite ruled out, and possibly a change in the London managership. The speaker was subjected to a battery of cross-exam-ination.

In reply to Mr. Avery, who asked whether their limiting of supplies accomplished the same end as price-fixa-tion, Mr. Forsyth said it would have a big effect, but not in the same manner as price-fixation, especially if the latter were in wrong hands.

PRICE AND DEMAND

MR. BUCKERIDGE’S CAMPAIGN (From Our Own Correspondent .) NEI? PLYMOUTH, To-day. Speaking at a meeting of farmers in New Plymouth, Mr. G. H. Buckeridge, who had just returned from a visit to the Old Country, contradicted the statement made by Mr. Grounds that the consumer had not reaped benefit from the fall in prices when price-fixing ceased. The retail price had dropped from Is 8d to Is 6d per lb, and by this means consumption had been stimulated, and trade became active and prices improved. Mr. Buckeridge opened up the question of pasteurisation and made an important declaration that this was unnecessary. It would, he said, be better to adopt the system now followed by some factories and insure good, raw supplies. There would then be no difficulty in making first-class cheese. Another very important question touched on by Mr. Buckeridge was in respect to superfine grade for cheese. He considered the director of the Dairy Division was wrong in his judgment, in this matter. Investigations at Home bore this out. Traders said the difference of one per cent, in grading was too little for them to bother about and demanding a higher price for superfine simply meant that it was more difficult to dispose of. The result was that “finest” had to be stored and ultimately sold at a lower price than first grade. He expressed an emphatic opinion that it would.be to the advantage of the industry to maintain the control board without any price-fixing and composed of men who would use their powers in a com-mon-sense manner.