POWERS OF CONTROL BOARDS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19372, 22 December 1932, Page 8

POWERS OF CONTROL BOARDS

ALLEGED TO BE TOO DRASTIC. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ATTITUDE. By Telegraph—Presa Association WELLINGTON, December 21. An emphatic protest against the reported request of the Associated Chambers of Commerce that the Government should bring in legislation with a view to depriving the Meat and Dairy Boards of their existing rights, whereby they control the shipping and marketing of meat and dairy produce, was registered by the executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in a letter read at a meeting to-day of the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce. The letter stated that the Union would not like to see either the Meat or Dairy Control Acts repealed, and considerable criticism had been directed at the Associated Chambers over its action in advocating that repeal. The meeting decided to reply pointing out that the Union had an altogether wrong impression of the attitude of the Association. The latter was not opposed to voluntary organisation of producers, which, indeed, it was only too willing to assist, but it was against the extreme powers vested in the Produce Boards, as those powers were, in its opinion, opposed to the interests of producers and of the country generally. The Association was advocating repeal not of the legislation under which various Produce Boards operated, but to clauses in the Acts which gave powers to the Boards to assume absolute control of produce. That power was a strong deterrent to the efforts of private firms and companies in seeking new markets overseas for dairy produce and meat since the Boards could forcibly take over those markets once they were established. Under the Fruit and Honey Boards, which were actually applying absolute control, a private merchant was at present not permitted to operate in markets he himself had originally established.