WAIKATO ASSOCIATION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19783, 26 April 1934, Page 8

WAIKATO ASSOCIATION

CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association HAMILTON, April 24. Matters of importance were discussed at the annual meeting to-day of the South Auckland Dairy Association. Under the impression that an arbitrary schedule of salaries for dairy factory managers was still in existence, several delegates protested at the system which prevented companies from having any say regarding what should be paid to factory managers. Mr J. Cotter (Hinuera) pointed out that under existing conditions factory managers received the same scale of salaries as when times were much better. Mr F. H. Anderson (Cambridge) chairman of the Employers’ Association, said that the Association was not started with the idea of handling the question of managers salaries. There were no awards now and he hoped the industry would not see them again. It was agreed that factories should pay as much as they could afford to. The chairman (Mr S. A. Ferguson) said that the position now was that each dairy factory in the province could make its own arrangements regarding salaries. Some strong words were used by several delegates to describe the Government’s policy, especially as It affects the dairy industry. Mr J. E. Leeson (Morrinsville) asserted that the Government was so anxious to improve the quality of dairy produce that it had reduced the grant for research at Massey College to £ISOO as against £3500 suggested by the Dairy Board. “I am extremely doubtful if the steps lately taken by the Government will result in improvement,” he said. “There is no talk of a quota regarding wool and the economic position there has righted itself. If the Government reduced our costs it would be of real assistance." An assertion that the Government never received an invitation from the British Government to send delegates to England for a round table conference to discuss the dairy position, was made by Mr Leeson, who attended the recent conference in Wellington between representatives of the Government and the dairy industry. He stated that at the conclusion of the conference a message was received stating that If the conference desired to return the visit made by Mr T. Baxter, the British Government would welcome a farmer visitor who could be sent in conjunction with visitors from other countries. That message was twisted and a resolution proposed that the conference accept the invitation of the Imperial Government to attend a round table conference. No such invitation, he said, had been issued.