DAIRY BOARD CONTROL

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16712, 30 January 1926, Page 5

DAIRY BOARD CONTROL

CONFERENCE AT HAWERA. MEMBERS' FIRM IN DECISION. HOSTILE MOTION DEFEATED. NEW PLYMOUTH, Friday. That it was inconceivable that the Dairy Control Board should refrain from carrying out its decision to exercise absolute control as from next August was stated by the chairman of the Board at a conference at Hawera tc-day. Over 200 farmers, representative of all parts of Taranaki, attended the meetings to hear members of the Board give an,account of their stewardship. The following were present:—Messrs W. Grounds (chairman), H. D. Forsyth, W. Goodfellow, J. R. Thacker, K. Dalrymple, W. Bryant and J. Fisher.

Mr Grounds was the principal speaker. He dealt with various aspects of the Board's operations regarding the method of election of members, and said he favoured an improved scheme. Replying to assertions that the Board did not intend to bring the compulsory clauses into effect, he said the Board had promised an investigation into the whole position, and that had been undertaken and'carefully carried out. The Board had decided'that any less restricted control than that decided upon would not produce the desired results. All appointments and developments had teen based on that decision, and he cculd not conceive of the possibility of anv suspension of that decision. Much had been made of the word "absolute," said Mr Grounds. He wanted to point out that the board only desired to have sufficient powei to be able to exercise a practicable distribution on the London market. There would be no need to display the power when it was known the hoard possessed it. The policy of the hoard was to bring all its distributors into touch with the central office, reporting from day to day how the market was going In that way the London office, as a clearing house for information between the distributors, would he better able to gauge the market in competition with otocr countries. The board's policy would also insure the marketing of produce in the order in which it was manufactured, which would overcome srorage for a longer period than five months. It also recognised that there must be some method of payment on a quality basis, as the difference secured by a better article should come to those who produced it. Touching on the assertion of Waikato influence and domination over the hoard Mr Grounds said that in the interests of the board this should he dcflnitelv dissipated. . It was no more possible for Waikato to exercise an inlluence along any line not in the interests of the industry than it .was for any other district. Although the wisdom of Mr Wright's appointment as London manager was questioned, and put down to Waikato influence, he would say without reservation that IhaKappointmenl was llic soundest the boaruVcould make. Regarding the suggestions to defer control, Mr Grounds felt that this was the thin end of the wedge to push aside the main issue. To defer control now would be a definite end to the farmers ever controlling their own interests in the future.- To turn back at the present moment would be fatal. It was essential to the whole industry tbat the board should he given a w chance to display the soundness of the policy it had laid before the industry, and for which it had organised and planned to bring into effect next August. After other speakers had addressed the meeting Mr Corrigan, of Hawera, moved that the meeting should recommend the Control Board to postpone taking absolute control, the, time proposed being inopportune. An amendment was moved by Mr. Cocker, of Rawhitiroa, favouring the policy outlined by Mr Grounds. On a division being taken the amendment was lost by two votes, 62 to 64. The motion was then declared negatived on the voices.