DAIRY PRODUCE CONTROL.

Waikato Times, Volume 101, Issue 16947, 9 November 1926, Page 7

DAIRY PRODUCE CONTROL.

THE BOARD'S POLICY. STATEMENT BY MR TIMPANY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, Monday. A further statement was made todav by Mr T. M. Timpany, of the Dairy Produce Board, witli reference to the statement made by Mr .1- A. Thacker, in reply to Mr Timpany's remarks on the lasl meeting of the board. " Mr Thacker calls mo to book for failing to quote messages from MiGrounds and Mr Motion, when I did not have the text before me, but he, with the text in front of him, quite ignores a message from Mr lorns, chairman of tho London agency," said Mr Timpany. " That there should bo no mistake we might as well have all the messages before the public and here is the text of the message from Mr lorns, dated October 25, from London, and ignored by Mr Thacker in his latest statement:— " ' Referring to the Hon. T. Shailer Weston's statement cabled to the Daily Mail, the greater portion of the loss incurred to date and still to bo incurred by New Zealand dairy farmers is due, not to the coal strike, but to holding supplies off the market earlier in the year at a fixed minimum price, and to the loss of the goodwill of all branches of the trade throughout tho United Kingdom, caused by the board's policy of price-fixing. After watching the Australian system in operation I am convinced that their clastic method of price-control is efficient and will give us sufficient control of the position without the hostility of all branches of the trade, and secure the co-operation of importers. I have an assurance that both Mr Motion and Mr Patcrson arc prepared to cordially co-operate with me and a new manager, if appointed. I have an excellent man in view for manager and can rely on his advice and assistance right away.'

"The suggestion about Mr lorns' prejudice is answered by letters Mr Thacker has quoted and I need not refer to it now. The text of all the messages is only before the public, and let me point out that they disclose that the majority of the London agency opose price-fixing as being inimical to the interests of dairy farmers, and suggest the Australian system, which has been proved efficient, as Mr lorns says. " There the matter can bo left, I think, at present, except that surely It is time to drop this business of accusing everyone who opposes a section of the board of being the tools of the merchants. Mr Grounds should stop ills pathetic reiteration of ' propaganda ' when his opinions are opposed. The present position in New Zealand is acute, and must be faced. That is not propaganda,; it is fact, and every dairy farmer can confirm that point for himself."

STATEMENT BY BOARD. REPLY TO MR TIMPANY. WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The New Zealand Dairy Producers' Board to-day made the following statement: "In connection with Mr Timpany's further statement and his admission that he overlooked the cables from Messrs Motion and Grounds, it f. officially stated that those cables were not only read to the board but every member was supplied with a stencilled copy. They were under full discussion, together with Mr lorns' cablegram In connection with the resolution inviting' the London importers to appoint a committee to act with the London agency, and all three messages were largely referred to by members of the board in that discussion, in which Mr Timpany participated. The resolution was finally carried unanimously. While Mr Timpany's admission that he overlooked those cablegrams is accepted, it may be regarded as regrettable that the rivetting of his attention upon cablegrams which did not reach the board till, in one case, some hours later, and in the other case next day, caused them to slip from his memory. The cablegram from Mr lorns now mentioned by Mr Timpany was not required to be included in the actingchairman's statement, which was necessarily brief for press purposes, because the viewpoints expressed involved a repetition and duplication of messages already received from both Mr lorns and Mr Patcrson, and published by Mr Timpany. The cablegrams from Messrs Motion and Grounds presented opposite viewpoints and were, therefore, vital in relation to the partial statement made by Mr Timpany. Mr Timpany's renewed statement that full consideration was not given to the Prime Minister's message is incorrect. It was fully considered and a Jong cablegram in reply was drafted and despatched by the board with Mr Timpany's recorded dissent, although the message embodied resolutions previously passed witli his consent. The board fully appreciated the position of the primary producer, but docs not forget to consider it in relation to the fact of annual slumps for the past five years. Those annual slumps, which have been the outcome of unregulated free marketing, will certainly continue unless conditions of marketing are altered. The board is concerned to provide, a remedy for those conditions by orderly marketing, adequately supervised in the producers' interest.