TO REDUCE DAIRY COSTS

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1933, Page 9

TO REDUCE DAIRY COSTS

FARMERS’ UNION DISCUSSION

COMPULSORY REORGANISATION.

WASTAGE AND OVERLAPPING.

AMALGAMATION OF FACTORIES.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night.

Various suggestions for improving the quality of dairy produce and reducing costs were put forward at a meeting of., the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to-day. An Auckland remit asked that the dairying industry should be reorganised compulsorily by the Government in order to avoid economic waste in the manufacture and overlapping in cartage on the roads and to facilitate co-operative marketing. The remit suggested that proprietary companies should be bought out and further proprietary companies prohibited, unnecessary co-operative companies absorbed by other companies and redundant factories closed. Seconding the remit Mr. H. E. Blyde (North Taranaki) said Ireland recently cut out on-third of it, dairy factories in the interests of economy. Mr. C.. H. Mumey (Otago) asked where the country was going to obtain the finance to buy out proprietary dairy factories. On his suggestion the remit was referred back for redrafting in an acceptable form. At the instance of Southland it .was agreed to endorse a suggestion that immediate steps be taken to bring about long overdue improvement in the quality of New Zealand cheese, which would bring about increased consumption both locally and overseas. A remit put forward by the combined conference was carried, recommending that the Dairy Produce Board meet the councillors of the various cities and towns with a view to reducing their overhead charges for distribution to enable consumers to obtain a larger supply of milk and cream at a lower price. Mr. L. C. Bryant (Wellington) said the overhead charges of the Wellington city milk department were so high that if it were given milk for nothing it would be unable to sell it at less than 31d a quart. ■ Several remits were put forward urging support for rural power boards in their endeavour to obtain a reduction in the charge for bulk supply of electricity so that charges for power in country districts could be brought into line with city charges. . A resolution was carried asking the executive to press for the immediate establishment of a local bodies’ commission and that the question of regrouping power board districts and power board finance be made one of urgency by the commission. The executive commended the Government on the firm stand it was taking over the Australian embargo on New Zealand potatoes and expressed the hope that no trade agreement would be signed which allowed the embargo to remain in force. 1

Mr. L. Bryant- moved that the union should protest against the “rush” method with which wool was sold in the Dominion. He said that as much as 30,000 bales was sold in a day. Mr. W. J. Polson, Dominion president, said the buyers’ answer to this was that too many wool sales were held, in New Zealand, and they had to work fast in order to get through. The brokers also favoured fast bidding as this often brought higher prices than if there was time for deliberation. The remit was withdrawn.