CALF POOLS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 July 1939, Page 3

CALF POOLS

♦ CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES. DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY. Interviewed regarding the effect of his company’s operations of the Waikato and Auckland Calf Pool federations, Mr. VZ. A. Phillips, chairman of Directors of the New Zealand Co-oper-ative Pig Marketing Association, stated that while these local federations had annexed further pools, several had also been added to those administrated by his association, and although as a result of these changes a reduction in the number of free or independently directed pols was indicated, the volume of calves which was available for disposal through his organisation was very satisfactory and likely to be even greater than last year. “Our association,” said Mr. Phillips, “has welcomed and fostered the advent of pools, since only by the application of this principle has it been possible to pursue our activities on co-operative methods.”

The New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Asosciation had been the body longest associated co-operatively with the trade in the Dominion. That the association had been a real factor in the development of the industry was indicated by the fact that the number of calves handled by it had gradually increased. When the association took over in 11)33 it had handled 164,000 calves. This total had gradually increased. and in 1938 the association handled 237,000 calves.

Questioned on the extent and scope of his association’s operations in the calf business last season, Mr Phillips said that in keeping with their national co-operative operations and objectives in the pig industry their activities in the bobby calf trade had also spread to include every district in New Zealand with the exception of Wairarapa and Southland, in which areas calf pools had been in operation for some years past.

“Altogether,” continued Mr. Phillips, “our association collected and marketed over 237,000 bobby calves during last season. This total included the product of 28 pools, all of which were associated in our national co-operative scheme, and in which connection it is significant to note that with the two exceptions already mentioned all pools operating outside the Auckland province were attached to it.”

Regarding the duplication of his company's co-operative services and competitive elements represented by the activities of the federations in question, Mr. Phillips was not prepared to comment beyond mentioning that the history of the dairy industry offered a parallel, in which time and experience had worked out its own solution.

“This method has in the past proved costly,” concluded Mr. Phillips, “but there appeared to be no other practical way round the problem, which was fraught with difficulties of a highly conflicting nature.”