DAIRY INDUSTRY

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIX, Issue 88, 9 April 1934, Page 5

DAIRY INDUSTRY

Reply to Mr. Goodfellow POSITION MISREPRESENTED SAYS PRIME MINISTER (Per Press Association) WELLINGTON, This Day. “The position of the Government in relation to the problems of the dairy industry have been so seriously misrepresented by Mr. W. Goodfellow in at recent statement, that it is only right that these points should be corrected,” said the Hon. G. W. Forbes in a statement to-day. Mr. Forbes said that it was an. extraordinary perversion of the facts to describe the recent proceedings as “the panic policy of our political leaders,” and pointed out that the development had not originated with the Government but through a request from a deputation of the executive of the Farmers’ Union, which asked that a Royal Commission be appointed to investigate the serious position of the dairy industry. After discussion with the Government it had been agreed that a wise preliminary step would be to have a conference with representatives of the industry, and then decide what action was necessary. After referring to the proceedings of the conference, Mr. Forbes said that delegates had passed a resolution requesting that a delegation be sent to England, and the Dairy Board had subsequently proposed that the delegation should comprise two representatives of the industry and one Minister. There had been no pressure on the part of the Government to send such a delegation, and meanwhile there had been no decision to send a Mini-

ster. The Government had endeavoured to steady the position and wished to see the delegation properly equipped for its mission before it agreed to the inclusion of a Minister. Mr. Forbes described the imputar tions of want of knowledge and lack of sincerity on the part of Messrs. Coates and Masters as unfair. Both Ministers lived in important dairying districts, and both had had the advantage of a direct consultation with' members of the British Government in regard to its policy for the regulation of supplies to the, home market. “The Government has been asked to help the dairying industry and is most anxious to do so, and it is of the utmost importance that the Government and all concerned in the industry should work in close and friendly co-operation,” Mr. Forbes concluded.