MEAT AND SHIPPING

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 228, 21 June 1921, Page 6

MEAT AND SHIPPING

RIVAL SCHEMES FREEZING COMPANIES’ ATTITUDE CRITICISED By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanganui, June 20. Mr. W. J. Polson, a member of the Producers’ Committee, referring to Mr. de Lautour's remarks as spokesman of the freezing companies’ deputation to the Acting-Premier last week in respect to shipping, expressed astonishment at the freezing companies’ attitude. In the first place, he pointed out, the freezing companies fathered a scheme drafted bi’ Mr. de Lautour which provided, amongst other things, for the acquisition of "suitable ships by way of charter, purchase or construction," such ships to Im controlled by a shipping board. The differences between Mr. de Lautour s scheme and other schemes were more or less important, of course, but the main and most important difference was that the freezing oompahies wanted Government control and not producers’ control, as half the board and the chairman were to be Government nominees. "Now the point is," he said, that Mr. Massey, in addressing a big producers conference at which all the freezing companies were fully represented, stated definitely that Government control wae not desirable, and that such representation as it had on the board of the Bank or New Zealand would l»O sufficient for the Government’s purpose. The report of the Producers’ Committee to the Government is still confidential, but I may go so far as to sav that the Governments wishes in that direction have been met. “The freezing' companies now appear anxious,” said Mr. Polson, "to discredit the Producers’ Committee without suiticient knowledge of what that committee has done. I can only wonder that Mr. de Lautour has allowed himself to become the mouthpiece of the fuzing companies in the complete /r , his speech betrays While Mr.Ac L ’ tour’s singleness of purpose is bejond question, the same cannot of some of the elements which make up the Association of Freezing of which he is the official mouthpiece. Some of the proprietary companies supported their shipping scheme with the r tongues in their cheeks, and are now resetting it. Some of them, notably n the south, are controlled by men with shipping interests, and already t re■» organised opposition to a producers . pnina line. It is unfortunate just now when it is so necessary to pull together if we are to get results.” #