ANYONYMOUS CRITICS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1931, Page 15

ANYONYMOUS CRITICS

PROTEST FROM FARMERS’ L'KIOX. Exception was taken yesterday by the North Taranaki executive of the Farmers’ Union to adverse'comments on milking shed conditions that appeared in the Taranaki Daily News in the form of an anonymous interview some time ago. The subject was introduced in a letter from the Stratford provincial executive and as a result it was decided “That this executive enters a strong protest against statements detrimental to the dairy industry being published in newspaper’s where the name of the authors are not made public, and would’ ask that in future the names of the persons making the statements should be published where the interviews relate to filthy conditions' under which cows are being milked in Taranaki, such as appeared in a recent issue of the Taranaki Daily News.” In sponsoring the proposal Mr. H. Hunt said the News had published an interview with someone who said that the conditions in some milking sheds were very dirty, that the cows were trailing through mud up to their bellies, and that the machines were applied while the teats were still dirty. Mr. Hunt considered this was a libel on Taranaki farmers in general. He had been in a good many sheds and could say it was not true. Such statements’Would have the same effect as those about New Zealand cheese, and. if they were republished in English papers would greatly militate against the results being obtained through advertising produce in Great Britain. '‘When statements such as these are published in a reputable paper, like the Taranaki Daily News it is only reasonable to suggest that the name of the author should be given, too,” eonclud-. I cd Mr. -Hunt.

■; The motion was .seconded by Mr. W.Hargraves and carried jwifehovit father comment. ■ ■. .-.(.r !> .<■.■..<! H l .; v>. ba-ir t'i. l '..