THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1934, Page 14

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

APPEAL FOR CO-OPERATION.

ADDRESS BY MR. T. C. BRASH.

Carterton, November 26.

An appeal to dairy-farmers for wholehearted co-operation as a means of moving forward the improvement of the dairy industry was made by Mr. T. C. Brash, secretary of the New Zealand Dairy Producers’ Board, addressing a conference of Wairarapa and Bush district dairy producers at Carterton to-day. Improvements either in production or in manufacture could not be brought about by Acts of Parliament alone, he said. Taking the long view, it was the industry which must control itself. It must have ideals of its own and be prepared to act unitedly. There was a need to take the big view and to get rid of parochialism and local animosities. If that was done it would be possible to make of the industry what they wished. Mr. Brash dealt at some length with matters arising from the report brought down by the Dairy Commission. “The Act makes provision for the set ting up of an Executive Commission of Agriculture for the purpose of co-ordin-ating certain operations of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, the Dairy Board, the Fruit Board, Honey Board and Poultry Board,” he said. “It provides, however, that any of the powers of these boards may be transferred by Order-in-Council to the Executive Commission.

“I wish to make it\ perfectly clear that I am seeking to put forward the views of Mr. Dynes Fulton, acting-chair-man of the Dairy Board. Mr. Fulton intended to be present at every ward conference to discuss this question. In connection with tire setting up of the executive commission the Government has expressed the opinion that some machinery is necessary to co-ordinate certain work of these boards, particularly in the opening up of new markets and dealing with matters which affect all primary producers, as represented through these boards. Mr. Fulton admits quite frankly that, there is a necessity for some machinery whereby the boards can on occasions operate conjointly. He holds the opinion, however, that if the members of this executive commission are all appointed by the Government the industry will entirely lose its connection with the commission and will eventually find that action will be taken without consulting the industry. He is strongly of opinion that the representatives on tire executive commission of the dairy industry and the meat industry should be appointed by the Dairy Board and the Meat Board respectively.

“The Act provides that ‘two members of the executive commission shall be persons who at the date of their appointment are or theretofore have been actively engaged as producers in some branch of primary production or actively engaged otherwise than as producers in the manufacture or marketing of primary products or in some commercial or other undertaking closely associated with the production, manufacture, export, or marketing of primary products.’ ” “It further provides that the executive commission shall consist of the Minister of Agriculture and three others appointed by the Government. “Mr. Fulton is of opinion that if the representative of the dairy industry were appointed by the Dairy Board he would be answerable to a great extent to that board, and through that board to the industry, and would of necessity have to give an account of his stewardship to the industry itself. For this reason he is urging that the Act should be, so altered as to allow of the dairy representative on the executive commission being nominated by the Dairy Board, agreeing, of course, that the same should apply to the representative of the meat industry.