CONFERENCE OF N.D.A.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 June 1928, Page 14

CONFERENCE OF N.D.A.

TUESDAY EVENING SESSION. (By Wire —Special Reporter.) Palmerston N., June 19. A remit from Taihape that concession rates in railway freights for tho carriage of cream should be granted to the nearest factory only was lost by 42 votes to 31 during the evening session of the N.D.A. Conference. During the discussion Mr. Routledge (South Island) estimated that £50,000 was lost to suppliers in Southland through the overlapping of supply. Other speakers considered the remit only touched the fringe of the position. The companies should get together and frame some scheme to overcome tho difficulty. Mr. J. R, Corrigan (Hawera) and Mr. Milne (Stratford) considered the remit to be playing into the hands,, of the motor lorries. Mr. Stent (Taihape) moved a remit that the farm dairy instruction be made a Government neasure, be compulsory, and be managed under a ward system. Farm instruction should be on a national basis or be cut out altogether. While all farmers did not need instruction, perhaps share-milkers did. Mr. Brechin, in seconding pro forma, said the farmers already had a lot to carry on their backs; for instance, there were 57,000 dairy farmers, but 82,000 civil servants. Farm instruction had been successful under the voluntary system, but with compulsion it might be different. They must be careful not to make a rod for their own backs. The dairy regulations were beginning to pinch in all directions and would pinch harder. They were going to build up a bigger army of civil servants. Immediately farm instruction became compulsory they would have 50 officials who would ride roughshod over them. Mr. O’Connor (Waimea) said that making farm instruction compulsory would help all the facilities to keep up to standard. The Government at present paid only half the costs, but under the proposal the Government would pay tlie full cost. One delegate considered farm instructors were essential, but tho regulations were not enforced severely enough. The farmer who would not comply with the regulations should be put out of business.

Mr. Bond (Bainesse) favoured the voluntary system, but was opposed to control. Mr. Dynes Fulton strongly advocated the farm instruction scheme whereby the factory paid half the cost and the Government the other half. The instructors must have authority behind them if the quality of the produce was to be maintained. Mr. Corrigan said experience had shown in Taranaki the value of farm instructors. Mr. G. Gibson (Rahotu) advocated farm instruction. He said that once it was made national the dairy companies lost the measure of control they had under the voluntary system whereby a factory paid half the cost. Mr. Milne (Stratford) favoured the remit. Mr. Derner (Cheltenham) thought that compulsion would tend to make instructors inspectors. Mr. W. M. Singleton (Dairy Commissioner) said at present 32 instructors were employed on a part salary basis. The difficulty arose with the smaller companies that had formed groups before an instructor had been appointed and where one company falling out meant the withdrawal of the instructor. It would require 26 or 28 additional instructors to cover the Dominion and would cost about 10s per herd of 30 cows. After Mr. .Brechin had made a spirited reply, the remit was lost on the voices. A remit from the Moa Farmers’ Dairy Company (Inglewood) read “that the conference recommends to the Government department concerned that legislation be enacted to compel the manufacturers of rubber goods supplied to the dairy industry to brand all rubbers with their grade.” Proposed by Mr. Sutton, seconded by Mr. Corrigan, and carried without discussion. A remit from Hinuera. “that the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board be recommended to further a national, scheme of herd-testing and devote a substantial portion of the export levy on dairy produce towards subsidising this important branch of the dairy industry,” was carried without discussion. A Levin remit “that the National Dairy Association be again asked to approach the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board and endeavour to abolish coastwise freights as now being paid by shipping companies on dairy produce as it is not in the interests of the producers as a whole,” was lost. Mr. Broadbelt considered it unjust that the rest of New Zealand should have to pay £240,000 a year for that purpose.