MEAT WORKS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18406, 12 June 1925, Page 10

MEAT WORKS.

ENQUIRY INTO SALE.

MR LYSNAR'S ALLEGATIONS.

(r-BESS ASSOCIATION TELEGEAUSJ

WELLINGTON, June .11

At the Meat Commission Mr Lysnar interpreted the evidence of certain witnesses as showing that negotiations) for the sale of the meat works were opened by Vesteys. Mr Jolly did not look for interest or fair reduction of account from the Farmers' Meat Company. He made up his mind it was better,-for. his institution, by hook or by crook, to effect a sale to Vesteys. . .

Mr Hislop'remarked that the bank had never wished to advance money in regard to the Admiral Codrington. It had. been forced into the position of doing so. Mr Lysnar said that.if the bank had refused the. company -would have found another bank, or any other. bank. (Laughter.) -. ; . Mr HisloD: The best solution of all. The Chairman: This appears to be one of the few propositions you gentlemen seem to be entirely unanimous about. , , Later Sir John Findlay lemarked that Mr Lysnar was quite dramatic, possessing such talent that; he: should have been on the stage. . Mr Lysnar retorted that he could not. 'claim a monopoly of draniatio talent. Sir' John said that Mr Lysnar ought to form a joint stock'company and go on the stage. Mr Hislop suggested that.the show might be called<*The Lysnar Follies." (Laughter.) . Commenting on -the Hon. .\V. Nosj worthy's evidence, Mr Lysnar took exception to the Minister saying tha,t"jn acertain event Mr Lysnar would have come crawling to. him for assistance. : He had done nothing, he maintained, to justify the use of. such language. Sir John Findlay: You called,him a dummy and an Egyptian mummy; Mr Lysnar: ''And I am. justified 3in doing so at-this stage." He added that the whole incident, showed that an unbalanced mind waVhandling, this matter, that it •wasVa, prejudiced mind, a mind not of a judicial nature 'and an -arbitrairy mind. All the facts and all argument in would-not affect' such a mind. . '

Alleged ; Dangerous Power; ■',- Nobody could deny that the possession of so many meat works in the Dominion gajvo Vestey Bros, a very dangerous power.. They might use this power arid damage the producer's and the .Dominion as a whole either by'closing their meat works here';'by lo\vering prjees to producers, by manipulation of their meat stores at r Horde or, of their multiple shops in the' Old Country. It might therefore be very difficult, to-sheet home to Vesteys any action to the prejudice of the producers and, of this country as' a whole.' The finding of the Commission, he submitted; should be that the Minister should.have refused to allow Vesteys to/acquire tho company's" works. In : this connexion, the Commission had* to take into eideration the fact • that ■ Armours we'r*. prepared- to guarantee the interest on the.amount owing by the-company to the bank, but the Minister had prevented' that and had also*-prevented Armours and other outside, interests from' competing as would-be buyers of the works, also that the Meat Board

had refused to agree to the advance of money to other freezing works ,by overseas concerns. The Minister and the Meat Board had acted without making full and proper enquiries into tho matter, with a result that the Commission had now to do what shoulu Jiave been done before the sale.

Tho Admiral Codrington.

Referring to the non-inclusion of tho Admiral Codrington in the 1924 shipping contract. Mr Lysnar. complained of the injustice done the company by Mr. Jolly by the Meat Board, . ._ The chairman asked when this wicked notion which resulted in such injustice first actuated Mr Jones.., Mr Lysnar said.that the first indication of it was when Mr Jolly said to him, "You have put your cap on with the. Meat Board by cutting freights. He. went to Mr Jones and put it to him, but Mr. Jones denied it. The chairman: Then do you suggest that Mr/ Jones got the bank manager into this wicked frame of mind or that the bank manager got Mr Jones into it?: ■ ' ± Mr Lysnar: It is difficult to pretend to say to you which of them started it.'-.'.'■ ": f '".. ■"'' •"'.-. ; Mr Tfeadwell: Why! - !

Mr Lysnar: Because Mr Jolly wanted to show the boat was nota profitable thing and wanted to get rid of it, and Mr Jones was against a producers' shipping line, and also wanted to' of it.' • • , a.

', Talk 'of Throats. •. Mr. Hislop said that that was the third ' occasion • that Mr, Lysnar had stated that Mr Jolly. had, threatened to make Mr Lysnar bankrupt. Reading Mr Jolly's evidence' on the point, he claimed it clear that the threat had nothing to do with.the company's a,ffairsy but referrednarte.priyatei account, .in;;regard r.to| which Mr Lysnar had promised ;to sign securities some months before, ; but! had hot signed t nem «' The statement;.was a gross misrepresentation of evidence, but was in .accordance, with ; Mr ,Ly&liar's conduct throughout. ■ ! ;: Mr Johnston said he placed the' same interpretation as" Mr Lysnar did upon Mr Nosworthy's request.to.Mr, Jolly to show consideration ie the guarantors and others "outside Mr Lysnar arid the; king pins of the company;'? As the words: stood, that, he took it^' was' their 'meaning.* He did not "hold, however, that Mr Noswbrthy excluded M?. Lysnar alone. -:. " The chairman remarked *thati that interpretation was very much more benevolent than •- Mr ; '■ Lysnar' a, but the matter, had better stand":oyer till Sir John Eindlay, Tvho was|nqt:th,en. present, could make his ; appuca.tipn fo reach Mr Nosworthy. ! V-: : """'; : ' v !/' •'.'■■"/'':''■' Mr Lysnar said tnaE time would ;not allow him'''.to go into :aH;jthe; pohits that pointed to an alleged conspiracy; ■ The chairman:' Don't talk about, time. "We want to know fully'what*is\ in your mind on-;thematter.*:Yoii hare to' - go on until yoa think you: have -fin-

ished, and you are not to eaj jiiHHraf have stopped you. Mr Lysnar:' lam quite.'-^^M^ffl about <that, and you will 'a«wg|«B| Mr Hislop, quoting the balance-sheet and the evidencara^graragi ous witnesses, categorically allegations mado by Mr. that the bank had permi tted/tlJlli|il|lra pany to go on from year to ing large sums of money Qfr its works right up to. the gdJtSffjgfjpfflili toys; (2) that the general r ißaM«MM||i| the bank had been consulted, MJlfßfflß expenditure .on improyen>entsrjms«jffl that the bank had promised' pany a reduction in the* TateaqJMHßß est on its overdraft. The commission adjoan^^iMa|||||