SEVERELY CRITICISED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1818, 2 August 1913, Page 8

SEVERELY CRITICISED.

—MR. W. D. LYSNAR'S CAMPAIGN. ' l '"frozen meat" campaign, which ha3,beea conducted by Mr.. \V. D. Lysnar, of-Gisborne, was severely criticised by Sir Walter Buchanan, A1.1'., at the Conference of Agricultural Societies yesterday. ■ ■* • The- subject was introduced by Mr. iwan Campbell, of Wauganui, the president, of tho conference, who stated that he understood that tho Port) "of • London Authority was sending a man to New Zealand to endeavour to controvert Mr. Lysnar's statements. This was because the Authority was afraid of trade being diverted from London to other English ports. He warmly complimented Mr. Lysnar for his efforts.

Mr. H. Hammond (Wanganui) said that Mr. Lysnar had convinced him that his campaign was on right lines. Tho matter seemed unlikely to attract any'further attention, when Sir Walter Buchanan rose. "I would not be doing justice to what I know of tho frozen meat trade," ho said, "were I to allow the chairman's remarks to go forth without qualification." Continuing, he said that all knew tho hard work which Mr. Lysnar had done, but then there was also tho question of the judgment Which he had used; and everyone knew the absolute necessity for tne exercise of sound judgment when definite statements wero being mado. Mr. Lysnar's statements, as published in the press, were (to him) simply monstrous. He heard Mr. Lysnar lecture in Jlasterton, but as koon as tho address was finished Mr. Lysunr liad to go away, and thero was no opportunity of putting him right on certain points. said Sir Walter Buchanan, "I should certainly have, put his misstatements in tho proper place." Respecting Bristol and its capacity to store frozen meat, Mr. Lysnar's statements all ovef the country showed that he had about doubled ths actual capacity. "In many other respects his statements arc— I say it deliberately—a misfortune to the cause which I know lie has at heart."

Sir Walter Buchanan added that he was making strong statements, but that ho was prepared to justify them. Ho had no other interest in the matter than the common interest of the settlers. In London ho had devoted a considerable portion of his time to looking into this matter. It was ■unquestionable that some amendments were needed: and the Port of London Authority had not done its duty to New Zealand in several respect?, and was only now making certain improvements. Before leaving London he got a pledge from the Port of London Authority that they would send one of the best engineers obtainablo to America to look into the matter of machinery for the handling of • goods—machinery 'which would lessen expense and damage. He was satisfied that when tho improvements contemplated were carried out, the trade in London would be on a footing which it could not get at the port of Bristol. A large portion of the meat had to be conveyed by barge up tho river and then by wagons, which were very imperfectly covered, and consequently allowed the meat to thaw to a considerable extent. The project now was to use the tramline, carry the meat in insulated cars, and landing : it straight into the shed. An Improvement Coming. ■Ho was sure that in the next three or four years there would be an enormous improvement in the frozen meat trade. He had nothing to say against Bristol,' but if they \Vere going to divide the trade between London and Bristol it would not result in a lower rate. If they got at the Port of London, first-class conveyance to any part of Britain, first-class conveyance to the dock,' and Smithfield,. and proper stores/ tlley ! £bt their I 'tl-ado. 'on a footing upon which they would hot have it at Bristol. One difficulty would be to get sufficiently large consignments shipped to Bristol. They knew what was taking place in regard to tho wool, market. The sales in New Zealand were increasing every year, and the control of the wool so far as the shipments were concerned was being taken away from the grower. The very same thing was happening with, regard to meat. Mr. Lysnar s scheme would meet withthat difficulty. "I am very sorry to have had to say these few words," he concluded, "because wo should all be indebted to anyone who has taken tho trouble which Mr. Lysnar has in this matter, but I should be failing in my/duty if I did not point out that in my opinion he has taken tho wrong course altogether in many directions."

Mr. Campbell remarked that he had not said anything about Mr. Lysnar's statements. The Port of London Authority had never been amenable to reason before Mr. Lysnar had started his campaign.