FORAGE ON TROOPSHIPS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2264, 25 September 1914, Page 6

FORAGE ON TROOPSHIPS

A REGRETTABLE INCIDENT.. A regrettable incident has occurred ' in connection with a quantity of the farmers' chaff which was taken on . board -the troopships. On Wednesday a considerable quantity'of rejected chaff was taken on board, and fed out that day to the horses. ■ As there were a number of visitors on the' vessels then the impression is likely to have goneabroad that the quality of the fodder is bad.' Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, manager of the New Zealand Farmers' Co-oper-ative Distributing Company, 'has written to Major-General Sir Alexander Godley to remove; this impression. An extract from the. letter reads as follows:—"In conjunction with Mr. Bruce, of the Agricultural Department, I have personally'inspected and passed for 'trucking all forage that went on-the ■ four vessels, and have no hesitation in ' •tating that the quality is first-class. A regrettable incident occurred yesterday morning, which may have the effect of placing us in an entirely false position. - We would not worry you with a matter of. this kind, at a. time - when you. are probably overwhelmed with work, were it. not for the fact that we are anxious thai you should' lwt leave. New Zeajand under a wrong -impression as to the'class of fodder the ships are carrying.." Tho incident re- , ferred to is that at' an early hour (about' sor 6 a.m. on Wednesday) some'of the troopers managed to gain access to No. 3 Harbour Board shed, in which was stored tho rejected line of chaff, etc., which had been sofl by auction the day previous. A fairly large quantity (so far as lean understand, about 100 sacks) was.taken by some of them as the morning ration of the horses. Of <x>urse, this. chaff was absolutely unfit for such a purpose, and doubtless com- •• taints', have been made by those in - charge. To mako matters worse, this chaff would be in the feeding-lines yes-'"' torday at a time when visitors were on board. Tho impression would naturally be gathered that the balance of the fodder on the ships was of a similar ■ quality.. We do not,wish_to make this in any form of a complaint whatever, : but. rather to clear away any misapprehension which may arise as to the qual-'-ity of' the forage on board, and also for the sake of our own reputation."