EIGHTEEN MILLIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19844, 19 May 1927, Page 7

EIGHTEEN MILLIONS

BIG DAIRY INCOME Pahiatua Fanners Approve Control Principle ADDRESS BY BOARD’S CHAIRMAN [Per Press Association.] PAHIATUA, May 18. A large attendance of farmers at Pahiatua this afternoon were addressed on dairy control by the chairman of the Dairy Control Board (Mr. Grounds). Mr. Grounds’ visit to the district was at the instigation of local dairymen. His address was largely in the nature of a reply to criticisms levelled at the Board by Messrs J. B. Mac Ewen and A. D. Caselberg at a meeting here. Mr. Grounds said that continued propaganda, organised by opponents of the Board and supported by a section of the Press, had produced a feeling with regard to the future stability of the industry which was not true and which militated against it.

The speaker dealt with the. allegations against the Board, explaining that last season had been an unfortunate one for such an undertaking as was committed to the Board’s care, owing to the economic position found at Home. He stated that the alleged antagonism of consumers as mythical. The meeting was of a very lively nature with numerous interruptions and many questions were answered by Mr. Grounds.

A motion was moved by Mr. J. G. Brechin (Pahiatua) and seconded by E. T. Hale, as follows:—“That this meeting having heard Mr. Grounds, affirms its strong conviction that the marketing policy of the Board as originally laid down was sound, and capable of giving great benefit to the industry if properly applied, and it strongly resents the combined commercial and political warfare- waged against the Board, which has prevented that scheme operating to give the fullest benefit to the farmers. It reaffirms its belief in the principle of national cooperative marketing, and urges that any reconsideration of the Act to alter the name should include revising the constitution to make the board purely a farmers’ board.”

An amendment was moved by Mr. P. Davies (Hamua) and seconded bv Mr. Bell (Niraha) as follows: “That in the opinion of this meeting, it is in the interests of the dairy industry that the compulsory clauses of the Dairy Control Act be repealed as soon as possible, and that dairy factories be permitted to dispose of their produce in the manner they deem most desirable, in their own interests.” The amendment was lost on the voices and the motion was carried.

During the course of his speech, Mr. Grounds announced that at the end of this week, the final payment of the first butter pool, amounting to £7600, would be available to the factories. An assurance was also given that there would be no victimisation of any sort or kind by the Board. On the contrary, there would be definite further payments in respect both of butter and cheese. Mr. Grounds also said that despite the carry-over of 20,000 tons by the factories from last season, also the protracted British coal strike, the extra production throughout the dairy season •had been so great that the actual cash income of the dairying community will probably exceed that of last year, although, owing to the then methods of sale and, lack of exact returns, definite comparison cannot be made. He estimated the dairy income at ' over £18,000,000.