UNDESIRABLE SECRETIVENESS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1931, Page 6

UNDESIRABLE SECRETIVENESS.

AH who are interested in the welfare of the dairy industry will endorse the remarks of the Minister of Labour, the Hon. S. G. Smith, that the coming conference of the National Dairy Association is likely to be momentous. Very few of them, however, are likely to appreciate the unnecessary secrecy that is being maintained in official circles in regard to the subjects that are to be dealt with by the conference. Mr. Smith stated at New Plymouth on Wednesday that the resolutions of a recent conference of dairy company directors, officials and experts with the Minister of Agriculture had been referred to the Association to deal with, but he added that they must be regarded as confidential until the Natidnal Dairy Association’s meeting. Why this should be considered essential is difficult to understand. The association’s conference is, presumably, representative of the whole industry. If important changes of policy are pending commonsense would seem to indicate that they should be made known so that delegates might have some idea of the feeling of all l whose interests must be affected by any changes made. The Minister of Agriculture has certainly intimated that improvement in quality is essential and that the industry must tackle the problem. He might wisely have said a good deal more. The result of the official secretiveness is that numerous rumours are gaining credence, one of them being that a drastic alteration in the constitution of -tlie Dairy Control Board, if not its abolition, is to be discussed. Change in method of payment for milk for cheesemaking is another matter which, it is alleged has been referred to the conference. What the “hush, hush” policy is likely to entail is that delegates will be Unable to come to decisions without consultation with their constituents, and procrastination will result. After all, the conference will be one of representatives, and their work to be effective must receive the general support of the industry. The sooner some plain statement of the new proposals is made public the greater is the chance of necessary improvements being brought about with promptitude.