PLACING THE BLAME

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 160, 2 April 1921, Page 8

PLACING THE BLAME

CONGESTION OF PRODUCE IN BRITAIN SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE SPEAKS OUT Severe condemnation of the policy and actions of the British authorities in the handling of New Zealand produce was uttered by Sir Thomas Mackenzie, lato High Commissioner, at the producers’ conference on Thursday. “1 hqve not the slightest hesitation in saying I'hat I think Sir Arthur Goldfinch .held up our wool when he could have disposed of'it at satisfactory prices,” said Sir Thomas Mackenzie. “We should see that at any rate we recover the whole of the 4)7,000,090 or 4'8,000,000 held to the credit, of our wool in London at the present time. Those of us who were in Britain anticipated what has occurred in connection- with our w%ol. I was associated with the Overseas Committee presided over by Sir Auckland Geddes, and.l brought before that committee fifteen or sixteen months ago the fact that the Wool Contioller was holding up our wool, that manufacturers could not get the wool that they required, and that when they did get wool fiho price was so high that the manufactured product was nnuost beyond the reach of the consumers.“I took occasion in England to refer publicly to the mismanagement of our wool and meat by those in authority in the Old Country. Sir Arthur Goldfinch was offensive in his correspondence. 1 pointed out that when the wool was sold by New Zealand, it was with ihe object of providing for the needs of the Army, and the civilian population at a reasonable price, and that it. had never been intended that the British Government should make huge profits out of bur wool. . . ■ Sir Arthur Goldfinch s policy of restricted supply and high prices has brought about the present situation to a large extent. He is not a wool man, and he does not understand the wool trade. The same sort of thing has caused trouble in other departments in Britain during recent years. Pe«P 6 have teen pitchforked into positions o authority, although they lacked practical knowledge of the matters they were to handle, The advice tendered to the Biitish Government by practical men was tfiat they should reduce the issue pric , cspecialy of crossbred wool. But instead of reducing it they increased it and the result was that the wool continued o accumulate instead -of going in o sumption. ' I trust that when Mr. Mas sev goes, to London lie. will be immovable in his contention that each year wool transaction shall be. treated separately. and that the loss, that may be made on rim wool remaining in t hands of the Imperial Government shal not be debited against the piofits that were made on the wool sold Prcv’ou Sir Thomas Mackenzie added that .he was not satisfied that the New Zealand producers had gon a fair deal m th distribution of profits already made. One grower of merino wool m Ota„_c had received the appraised price ot Gd per pound in one of the commandee veais He had been «ble .trace !he wool and he had ascertained that it had been sold ultimately to the man - facSurer at 10s. 6d. a pound. But the Solver had received only 1d a pound as his half-share of the profit. Incom pelenco on the part of the men in charge of the commandeered supp had been responsible for much of double in connection with meat said ST Thomas Mackenzie. The departmeat that handled the meat was stocked up with men shunted from other departments.” After the armistice the man in authority persisted in-a delusion that ti ere was going to be a meat famine, inder that delusion he rationed severely an [continued «> charge high prtces I made- that policy . the subject o fou separate attacks in public said wero'all cSTZ meat was going wrong, and the Public wa, being P SftS nmat. had the b these difficulties the meat market lad look as anything but hopeful.