DAIRY PRODUCE EXPORT

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1929, Page 11

DAIRY PRODUCE EXPORT

UNIFORMITY OF CONTRACTS CRITICISM OF, CONTROL BO ARI.). ITS APPROVAL CAUSES ALARM. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. When the Dairy Export Control Board met in Wellington on July 10 the secretary, Mr. T. C. Brash, reported that he had received from the Exporters’ Association particulars of contracts that were proposed to be used as models in the purchase of butter and cheese, it being (so he stated) the general desiie in the industry tiiat a standardised contract should bo available. The board after discussion resolved that the contracts be accepted as standard contracts for f.o.b. sain of butter lor seasoned outputs and monthly makes in regard to cheese. The board balked on provisions re-' gardin’g shrinkage and other details and

decided that the question of the contract should be deferred to its next meeting, the various cheese organisations to be consulted in the meantime a.*> to their views on its provisions. Mr. W. G. Wight, Dunedin, secretary of the South Island Dairy Association, thereupon wrote to Mr. Brash asking for copies of the proposed contracts. Mr. Brash replied that he could not supplv them as they were the property of the Dairy Produce Exporters’ Association and his board (the Dairy Export Control Board) had received no authority to supply copies of the contracts to anyone except that board’s members. Mr. Wight wrote in reply that the board’s own organ (the New Zealand Dairy Exporter) in its issue of July ’26 had stated that the various cheese organisations would be consulted as to their views on proposed contract. He pointed out that it was impossible for tho South Island Dairy Association to express its views on the contract unless it had copies of it. Mr. Wight, however, wrote also to the secretary of the Exporters’ Association asking for copies of the contract which were promptly forwarded to him. On these copies being tnus available to the South Island association Mr. William Lee, Goodwood, who is also a member of the Dairy Control Board, expressed disapproval of the contract. At his request a meeting of the South Island Dairy Association's Otago representatives was called. It was held yesterday in Dunedin.

The meeting passed the following motion unanimously: “That this meeting of Otago dairy producers strongly condemns the proposed new contracts submitted by the Exporters’ Association which will have the effect of reducing the market value of our produce. “We view with the greatest alarm the action of the Dairy Produce Board in approving a contract which appears to have been framed solely in the interests of exporters.

“If it be tho desire of the board to act in the interests of the producers we strongly urge it to withdraw its acceptance of the butter contract at the earliest opportunity and not to ratify the proposed cheese contract until both butter and cheese contracts are submitted to tho producers throughout their dairy associations.”