I.—loa.

32

[h. bond.

9. But in regard to the system of election of members to the Board, would you prefer that the Board should be elected by the vote of all the farmers supplying the dairy factories ? —Yes, certainly. 10. Who offered you a seat on the Dairy Council ?—I would prefer not to answer that question, but I will give the name to the Chairman if he wishes. 11. Mr. Hawken.] You remarked that wool is not being controlled : are you not aware that wool is being controlled ? —I am aware that there is no compulsory control, such as you are trying to put on the dairy-produce. 12. Is it not a fact that wool could not have been shipped or sold without the consent of the committee ?—Well, lam not quite certain of that. I have not been in the wool business these last three years. I just took it from this paper which I have read. 13. Then of course you know that in Australia there is a committee that controls all the surplus wool and has done so for the last three years ?—Yes, sir, but there is a demand for that wool. You see the ladies all knitting, and there is a demand in Europe. There is indeed a shortage of wool throughout the world. In America they were asking Mr. Ford to buy up a lot of wheat, and there are people advocating that people should eat pure bread, and in that way they are trying to make a demand. 14. There were 2,800,000 bales of surplus wool: if that wool had been thrown on the market by the producers do you think the price would have gone up ? —I do not know. We made biggish shipments of butter and the price gradually rose, so that the committee must not take all the credit for the rise in the price of wool. 15. Mr. Burnett] You stated that this Dairy-produce Control Bill would take the control of the produce out of the hands of the suppliers ? —Yes. 16. Why, that is the very essence of the Bill: it gives the control of the industry to those who are directly responsible for its produce : how do you square that ? —I square that in this way : that if I were a supplier I would get no say at all. The chairman of directors might get a say in appointing these gentlemen to the Board. I have put a case to you where one man was running the factory with a big stick. We have not any say in the appointment of that Board —we as individual suppliers have no say. 17. I do not think you have studied the Bill, Mr. Bond ?—Well, I have studied life fairly well. 18. You also made the statement that wool was not controlled : do you not realize the good work that B.A.W.R.A. has done for the Australian clips ? —According to the different discussions in the Press it is questionable as to whether B.A.W.R.A. has done what has been claimed for it. 19. But the great majority of wool-growers of this country and of Australia are agreed that that Board did a tremendous amount of good work in dealing with the huge accumulated surplus of wool ? —Would it not be possible for me to ship my clip Home if I had one ? 20. No ? —I mean shipping one Home to England. 21. You could, but you would have to await your time —it is regulated ? —(No answer.) 22. Mr. Langstone.] You do not believe in majority rule ?—Yes. 23. But if the majority of the dairy-farmers say that they are in favour of the Bill, and you being in the minority, would you agree that they should have the Bill ? —Yes ; provided it is done in a democratic way, and provided that the majority of the shareholders give their votes that way. I must submit to the majority ; but it is hard lines on me as a Britisher to be overruled in connection with the handling of my own produce. If I am not getting as much as you, Mr. Langstone, you should pass over your profits for your day's work. 24. All British institutions have been built up on majority rule ? —Yes, I know. 25. Mr. Masters.] I want to follow up a question asked by Mr. Burnett, as I do not think he gave the witness the opportunity to make the point clear. You stated that you object to the control of the produce being taken "out of the hands of the farmers, and Mr. Burnett said that the essence of the Bill was placing the control in the hands of the farmers : is not the essence of the Bill to place 'the control of the produce in the hands of certain individuals on behalf of the farmers, and not in the hands of the dairy factories themselves ? —I have been told that I have misread the Bill. I am not a solicitor. 26. Under clause 15, have you noticed this: "Without limiting any authority specifically conferred on the Board with respect to any dairy-produce, the Board shall have full authority to make such arrangements and give such directions as it thinks proper for the following matters : (a) For the handling, pooling, and storage of dairy-produce ; (b) for the shipment of such dairyproduce on such terms and in such quantities as it thinks fit; (c) for the sale and disposal of dairyproduce on such terms as it thinks advisable ; (d) for the insurance against loss of any such dairyproduce either in New Zealand or in transit from New Zealand and until disposed of ? —I have studied the Bill a great deal. If the Bill is placed on the statute-book of New Zealand we will have to continue to do the dirty work, but will not have any say in the handling of our products. 27. You are quite satisfied that the dairy factories are losing all control of their produce ? —Yes. 28. Mr. Field.] You are aware that on the Board there are to be nine producers' representatives and two representatives of the Government ? —Quite aware. 29. Do you not think that is sufficient representation for the producers ? —I do not think it is stated right. I should prefer not to have a Government man on the Board at all after we have built up the industry. 30. You think there would be too much Government control ? —Yes. APPENDIX.—THE PRODUCE POOLS. [Extract from the Manawatu Evening Standard, 21st June, 1923.] Financial authorities are inclined to look askance upon tho projected dairy-produce and wool pools. In regard to the former, it is understood that the Government is not likely to proceed with the Dairy-produce Control Bill unless there is complete agreement upon the subject so far as the producers are concerned. While a majority favours compulsion, there exists a considerable minority averse to any interference by the State with the free marketing of the country's produce. There is, further, a disposition on the part of a section of the producers to question the