DAIRY CONTROL BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1927, Page 7

DAIRY CONTROL BOARD

FUNCTIONING REVIEWED. \ SUPPORT FROM OTAGO FARMERS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. The Dairy Control Board was criticised in a remit to the annual conference of the Otago provincial council of the Farmers’ Union. The remit was to the effect that the policy adopted by the Control Board had not been in the interests of producers, and asked the conference to express an opinion on the matte?. Mr. W. Brash said he would not speak about the policy of the board, but would say that control legislation had been suggested as being revolutionary an<l wrong. This was not so, and he instanced strict control which had been obtained in other countries. The producers had never at any time been satisfied with the marketing of their produce, despite the efforts of the best brains in the industry. The difficulty in farmers’ organisations was that • small minority could upset the majority, and the board was set up to control that troublesome minority. The control legislation consisted of one small addition to co-operative marketing. The first task was that of arranging shipping contracts, and this, together with marine insurance, had been well worth while, for the reduction in marine insurance had totalled £40,000.

The board had been unfortunate in it* first appearance op the London market, and had butted into an unsatisfactory state of affairs. Prices were not as bad as people feared, and the average pr:ee for the year would be no less than 100 s for.butter, and S3s for cheese, both quite satisfactory prices. The disposal of New Zealand butter in America and Canada had counteracted the low London prices to a great extent. Prospects for tho coming season were good, and the stores were empty. The real trouble had arisen through the efforts of a certain section to wrest from tho board ita power of allocating the output. The chairman ta d it would be very unwise to adopt a changing policy. Mr. Waite moved that th? conference approve of the principle of co-operative marketing underlying tho establishment of tho Dairy Control Board, and this was carried.