EXPLOITATION

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 128, 2 June 1919, Page 7

EXPLOITATION

AUCKLAND FARMERS ON PROFITEERING

MEAT, WOOL, AND HIDES

AN -END TO COMMANDEERING SOUGHT.

(01 TELEGRAM.—SPECIAL TO THE TOST.) AUCKLAND, This Day. Sweeping charges of " exploitation against manufacturers and merchants were made at the concluding sitting on Saturday of the Auckland Farmers' Union by Mr. TV. D. Lysnar, of Gisboriie, who moved : ''That the New Zea-. hind Government be urged to determine commandeering of Now Zealand produce at as early a date as possible, so as to prevent manufacturers aud profiteers from exploiting producers and consum- j ors." All requisitioned products from New Zealand, he said, were sold in Eng- j land at very much higher figures than were paid for them locally, and larger profits were being made by middlomen', manufacturers, and retailers under contract with the Impsrial authorities. The New Zealand farmer was paid f.o.b. "5d per lb for beef. F.o.b. charges could be taken at about -J,d par lb., which was deducted from the sd, leaving the farmer 4£-d. It- was officially recorded that this' meat was being: sold by tho Imperial authorities . at Home for Is Id per lb wholesale, while retailers received an additional 9d for it. With regard to wool, the Imperial authorities were not benefiting by the requisition, but they were selling it to manufacturers at such low prices that the latter were/making, enormous profits out of it. Manufacturers' prices for articles made from wool were under no restrictions whatever"'foicivil requirements. The result was that manufacturers who got New Zealand wool, at cost were charging in respect of New Zealand manufactured cloth 14s 6d per yard for what cost 6s per yard before the war;- and in respect of English cloth 33s per yard'for what formerly cost 14s sd. If the producer were being paid for his ' wool on the pre-war basis he would be receiving from 15s to 20s for it, Re : tailors were in the habit of ascribing the increased cost of goods to the high cost of raw materia.!, but there wits not more than half a crown's worth of wool in a- yard of cloth, for which retailers wore now receiving from 20s to 40s. "If you are '.going to allow yourselves to be hoodwinked in this way you are not worthy -to be classed as ' responsible citizens," he said, amid applause. The farmer, he continued, had his hands tied as to what hp is to get for his produce, but the hands of merchants and retailers were not tied. Farmers were not receiving fair prices for their hides, as compared with prices charged for leather goods. He stated , that hides were sold' at less than Is"" per lb. while tanners were getting from 4s 6d to: 5s lOd per lb for leather, and the prices charged for boots and other leather goods were enormously in; advance of pre-war prices. , Mr. J. Boddie, president of the union, said he had had ample proof of the a-ccurateness of Mr. Lysnar's statement. With regard to pricaS''charged for woollen goods by New Zealand manufacturers, instances had come under his personal notice of tweed that had been offered for~ sale at wholesale houses- at 29s Gd per yard, while he was certain there was not half a crown's worth of wool in it. The facts wore staggering, and it was bard to say what should bo done in the matter. Mr. Lysnar's motion was carried.