MEAT, BIDES AND WOOL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 127, 23 February 1920, Page 8

MEAT, BIDES AND WOOL

COMMANDEER, DEPRECATED

GISBORNE FARMERS' VIEWS

By Telegraph—Press Association. (iisborne, February 22! A meeting of farmors'wns held yesterday to consider the meat and hides V™ il ™' About 50 farmers, representing all £no surrounding districts, were present. The chairman, Mr. G. J. Black, after reviewing the position, thought that the Imperial' Government should be asked to lower the mice of the meat in store. The farmers should' insist upon the Government having all the frown meat lifted before the new season commenoessav. by November 1. In regard to hides, the farmers had been badly treated by the Government. Thoy had suffered a loss of .£1 a hide. Much leather sent to Australia came back'in the form of boots. Hides in Australia, with a free market, had been fetching up to lis. id. n pound, while New Zealand producers had been getting one shilling, for the heaviest. The farmers _ wanted a free market for all produce, including butter and cheese. , ~ . „ Mr. J. H. Machell moved the following resolution: "That in the opinion of this-meeting the New Zealand Government should continue most urgently to press the Imperial authorities to see that .adequate shipping facilities are definitely provided in order to lift the whole ot the Imperial meat in New Zealand stores by November 1 next. That, in view of the congestion of meat in New Zealand and England, the Imperial authorities be strondv mged to discontinue coiijolling the high retail prices of meat as at present, and allow a free market, so that the price of meat may bs reduced, arid thus assist immediately in relieving the congestion: that the Government .should 'see no is.made of the commandeer of our meat, wool, hides, and dairy produce; that we ■revert to pre-war conditions as soon as possible, and.the New Zealand Government be requested to make arrangements to see that ■the producers ! aro represented y on any conference dealing with these mattcrsparticularly when dealing with shipping and freight questions." Mr. W. G. Shorratt, who seconded the motion, thought that a commitee should be formed to keep in. constant touch with the Government and make it have all the meat taken away by October. Mr. W. D. Lysnar, M.P., said he felt that the dominating power camo from the English end. When Hie oommandeer first opened he (the speaker) mentioned that in his opinion some controlling officials were not appointed in 'the interests of the producers. If the restrictions at the other end wero removed, the meat could bo Bold immediitely it was landed off the steamer. So far as the banking part of the. question was concerned, the Prime Minister did not anticipate the slightest difficulty in the matter of the banks making advances to farmers on meat. He asked the farmers not to be intimidated by the statement about financing Thi'igs were radically wrong if the banks wero 'not able to face the position, and in that case he would repeat tho statement that he would givo JiIO.OM towards a bank that would do so. Beferring to hides, Mr. Lysnar said that the be-;t hides were being taken at lOd. per lb. ' Eejects were put up to auction, and realised 15d. and lGd., whilo tanners had not reduced the cost of leather one fraction. The inferior class of wool not taken over by the commandeer was realising higher prices than the best class of produce. The committee set up by the Board of Trade at Homo had discovered that some manufacturers wero making over 3000 per cent, profit. The suit the speaker wo.? wearing cost 12 guineas, and it had only 12s. worth of wool in it. Ho referred to a letter issued by the Prime Minister about the legality of a farmer's holding his wool. Ho (Mr. Lysnar) had replied to tho 'iovernment that he did not think a farmer holding his wool was committing any offence, but if there was an off*nw, then he asked for a prosecution. There had been no prosecution. He said that 1 unless ■ a prosecution took place withir ■ a short time he would give the letter tc tho Press. . He asked the farmers tc tako no notice of commercial men, ant to think the position out for themselves Congestion was being brought about onlj to create a scare, and make the farmeri press for an extension of tho contract. Hi undertook to say that if tho commandeer was stopped there would be plentj of ships available. Mr. John Clark said that tho til's arrangement was made by the farmers ; to help the Government. Tho wool wai • not well handled. His' wool, which wa: . takon at 15d., was sold to the manufac • turer at J)2d. The farmers had doni ! very well out of their wool, but thi : speaker did not see why the men win handled the wool should get mom thai : the men who girew it. (Applause.)

Mr, Mac-hell's motion was ™iTied unanimously. It was decided that a committee comprising Messrs. J. Clark, W. tiw Sherratt, and K. S. Williams bo appointed to go to Wellington to deputationise tho Prime Minister, and to keep in touch with tho Government in regard to the position. It was explained that Mr. Lysnar was left off tho committee in order that ho might be left free to introduce the deputation.