CONFERENCES OF N.D.A.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1931, Page 9

CONFERENCES OF N.D.A.

VALUE TO DAIRY INDUSTRY DAIRY CONTROL BOARD’S EFFECT. MEETINGS STILL OF IMPORTANCE. The first conferences of the National Dairy Association were held in Stratford, which remained the location for four or five years. During Mr. Beattie’s term as secretary, however, the association, as provided in the memorandum of association, held a National Dairy-: show at Palmerston North. This took place in 1903, and was the first winter show to be held in the North Island. The show proved a success in every respect except from the viewpoint of finance, for a loss of £7l was recorded. After that the N.D.A. was not in a position to undertake the risk of running, the show" again, but as the resuit of negotiations with the Manawatu A. and P. Association, which had for years been holding a successful stock show, it was decided that the show association would conduct the winter dairy 1 show. This show has since never looked back, and . still retains its original designation of National Dairy Show. In conjunction with the show the conference was held at Palmerston North in 1903, and it continued to be held in tha Manawatu metropolis until 1923. Then, largely as the result of the action of the Manawatu Association executive in charging delegates 5s concession tickets to enter the conference hall, which was on the showground (the. tickets of course also giving admission to the show throughout the season) the venue was changed. The location was decided each year. Since-then the location has been as follows:—l924, Auckland; 1925, Hawera; 1926, Wellington; 1927, Rotorua; 192-8, Palmerston North; 1929, W’hangarei;.l93O, Hamilton. This year it is at New Plymouth. Very many important questions relating to the dairying industry have been dealt with at the conferences, thediscussions in some instances lasting two days. Prominent amongst the mat-, ters dealt with were improvement of. the quality of the produce by the stiffening of the grading, the introduction of a “finest” grade, and . cream and 1 milk grading. Perhaps, however, the most important discussions were those that.- took place over various schemes that were brought up by delegates for effecting improvements' in the conditions relating to the marketing of produce at Home. The pooling question and that of the introduction of the control system probably evoked the liveliest discussion. /No definite scheme of marketing could be arrived at by the N.D.A. conferences, and, of course, with the coming into operation of the Dairy Produce Export Control Board in 1924, and its assumption of control in 1926, the sphere, of activities of the N.D.A. was considerably lessened. Prior to that one of its most important activities, if not the most important of all, was the arranging of shipping contracts with the shipping companies. /In this connection it is interesting to note that the N.D.A. worked in co-operation with the South Island Dairy Association, so that the whole of the -exportable dairy produce of the Dominion was included in the various contracts made. During his term as president Mr. Morton took part in the arranging of no less than four such contracts. The industry, as the result of the contracts being arranged by one body acting for the whole, secured the benefits of reduced freights. iur. Morton also assisted in arranging more regular shipments, and incidentally helped to improve the conditions of carriage. Reductions in the rate of insurance Were also obtained. Though the N.D.A. in these matters spoke for the whole of its members, there was no compulsion on the members’ part to ship or insure through uie channels arranged by the association. When the association first started, remarked Mr. J. W. Foreman in conversation recently, the wreight on butter to England was three farthings a

pound if put in the cool room on th* boat, and Id per pound if placed in the freezing chamber, though factories wer* advised not to send their butter Hornet*' the freezing chamber, as it would.spoil if they did. They were charged on the total weight of the box (fieib.). Since then the freight had, as the result of their negotiations, been reduced to a* low as 2s 6d per box. Indeed for a while during competition it was carried for Is 9d per box. When Mr. Foreman was president the insurance only covered tho produce from Wellington to the docks in London, (but the association was able not only to have the premium reduced considerably, but also -to have the cover extended so that the produce was insured from the factory door vo the warehouse in London. X In the early days, continued Mr. Foreman, . the association had great difficulties -toface and very little revenue. Indeed for years the whole of • the directors paid their own expenses, and in addition, in their attempt to benefit the industry by indenting requitsites so that factories could secure their supplies as reasonably as possible, the directors frequently had to sign, a joint and several. < , It was while (Mr. Beattie .was secre- , tary of the association that- the North Taranaki dairy companies took over the Moturoa freezing works for the company that owned it, said Mr. Foreman. But before they could do so it was necessary for them to have their memorandum of _association altered, giving them the power. The first year (1901-2) 176,210 -boxes, of: butter and’ 9,530 crates of cheese were put. through the works, &s' compared with ■ 310,042 : boxes of butter and 237,869 crates of cheese for the 1929-30 • season. (Since the Dairy Produce .Export Control Board has taken, over the control of the shipping, etc,,-?£he constitution of/ the N.D.A.i'bas been altered, and it i« now purely a trading concern. Thus it now specialises in a 'branch of it* activities that has' -been carefully developed ever since its inception. However, it is gratifying, to know that delegates realised the great /value to the industry of the. annual conferences. At Hamilton last year, when the constitu- 1 tion was altered, a committee was set up to make a recommendation "to the later confirmatory, meeting on the question of setting up a . separate organisation apart from trading to deal with the activities of the conference. The report of the committee, which w»s unanimously adopted, recommended the setting up of an executive to control all conference matters, with an independ-; / ent secretary who should be free to devote the whole of his time to furthering the interests of the conference and of the ’ various matters -that ■ are continually arising in connection witih. the / industry during the year. It was also decided that the conference should be held annually in conjunction with the annual meeting of the N.D.A. Mr. L. C. ■ Bensemann was appointed secretary and an executive was set up comprising Messrs. A. Morton, Dynes Fulton, and. the Hon. J. B. Gow. Th© annual conference will therefore continue to afford the opportunity, for all those associated with the welfare’ of the dairying industry to meet and discuss matters of vital, importance leading to momentous decisions, such as are anticipated at this week’s conference when the question of cheese quality and the regaining of New Zealand’s prestige on the British market will be the paramount' matter.