CONTROL OF SALES

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21183, 5 August 1940, Page 6

CONTROL OF SALES

CREAM SEPARATORS ORDER BY GOVERNMENT COUNTER PROPOSALS MOOTED Control of the sale of cream separators to farmers is to be undertaken by the Government, according to advice received by distributors, but counter proposals have been placed before the Government and the order is being held up in the meantime. The Government’s proposals are stated to be for the purpose of conserving existing stocks and limiting importations. It was stated that a local dairy instructor or departmental officer would examine the machine in use when a farmer required a new separator and decide whether the old one was worn out The Government was exercising powers held under the Dairy Industry Emergency Regulations, 1939, and was acting on the contention that new separators should not be purchased unless the ones they were to replace were beyond repair. Further Heavy Expense “ The Government’s proposals will mean further heavy expense to the distributing companies and the Government itself, as they will mean a large amount of travelling and wastage of petrol,” said the principal of a large firm in Hamilton today. “ Every machine will have to be inspected on the farm by a Government man as well as by a man from the distributing company, and if the Government’s agent considers a new machine is necessary then another trip will have to be made by the company to instal a machine. Counter proposals have been made that will save expense to both the department and the companies and will have the desired effect of the order, and the Government is considering these proposals.” The Government’s order meant, he said, that companies could not sell separators to farmers without the authority of the department. With the average life of a separator taken as 10 years and about 54,000 in use in the Dominion, replacements were normally about 5400 a year. At present, owing to import licensing and the Government’s policy of saving stocks, it was possible to supply only 3000 separators a year. The further restrictions would make matters worse. Although there had been interference with the supplies from Sweden and Britain, the United States was an alternative market.