SIR WALTER BUCHANAN

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 3, 29 September 1919, Page 4

SIR WALTER BUCHANAN

WELCOMED HOME AT FARMERS' UNION DINNER. (By Telegraph— Bpccial Correspondent.) Masterton, September 2!t. At the Farmers' Union dinner at Masterton on Saturday evening, Mr. Hugh Morrison, who presided, extended on be-i half of tho fanners a hearty welcome home to Sir Walter Buchanan, .who recently returned from a visit to' Scotland. Sir Walter, 6aid the speaker, was ono of the first pioneers of the district and had been the founder of the freezing works and other farmers' concerns.

Sir Walter Buchanan, who was received with enthusiastic applause, said that ho would not make a lengthy as by doing so ho would be in danger of delaying the pleasures, of the concert to follow. It was sixty odd years sinca he had last been'in Scotland, and he had enjoyed his last trip to the full, but New Zealand would always be his home. Much as lie would like to give them an account of his trip he could not burden — ■ The ohairman: "You- have three minutes yet. Please go on, Sir —"■ Sir.Walter Buchanan then' agreed'to continue, but not on the pleasures of his .trip,, He spoke of,the working of tho meat trusts.' He had investigated extensively the operations of these trusts and he had found that there'were two firms, not five, with whom they had to contend. These were Swift's and Armour's, w r ho wero operating also, in the Argentine, the greatest meat country in the world.. Profits ranging from two millions to eleven, and a half millions had been admitted by these concerns. Tho farmers had allowed these foreign companies to' go a long way too far, and unless they combined so as to bring pressure to bear on the Now Zealand Government and later on the English Government a serious situation would arise. They must do something. ' Mr. G. R. Sykes, M.P., also spoke.