HEAVY PROGRAMME

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22338, 24 May 1947, Page 8

HEAVY PROGRAMME

EXECUTIVE ISSUES WELLINGTON ACTIVITY TERRITORIAL PROBLEMS During the whole of last week, a series of meetings was held at the head office of the Federated Farmers in Wellington. On the Monday share-milker employers met, as did the Dominion action committee. On Tuesday the council bf the meat and wool, dairy and agriculture sections dealt with the specific problems of their industries, and the full Dominion council commenced a thrccday sitting on Wednesday. A special meeting concerning domestic matters of the Farmers' Union was also held, states a message from Federated Farmers' headquarters. T'nc Dominion council devoted Wednesday and part of- Friday to consideration ,of various points of territorial definition raised by the Auckland provincial executive. While ail details of Auckland’s provincial area were not completed, certain agreement concerning organisational work up to the time of the Dominion conference in July was reached. A heavy agenda of remits was also considered by the council. Mr. H. E. Blyde, acting Dominion president, was in the chair. Forty-hour Week Effects. How current shortages of supplies could be overcome while the 40-hour week continued in operation was a matter which gave concern to members of the council. Doubts of the unqualified success of the short week, as recently claimed by certain political leaders in New South Wales, were expressed. The action committee, which is responsible for federation publicity, was finally instructed to issue a candid statement to the Australian press explaining how the short hours of work in New Zealand had caused production to fall at a time of serious shortages of consumer goods and an abundance of inflated currency. In a report received from Mr. D. L. M. Martin, research officer of the federation, who is at present overseas, details were given of the judging in . England of Wanganui Show beef car- ( cases. The general opinion of the Eng- , lish judges was that most of the beasts were too fat for the normal market, on pre-war standards. They also stated that the standard of slaughtering was poor a defect which would have to be - remedied if New Zealand beef was to compete successfully with Argentine beef. , , , Waikato Show beef was displayed at the same time, and in the opinion of the meat trade the Waikato product was superior in both quality and the standard of slaughtering. Supply Continuity Essential. 9A representative of Weddell & Company told Mr. Martin that there were sufficient supplies of meat in Britain for but one week’s consumption. If ships were delayed for one week, Britain would be without meat. Mr. Martin saw at Cardiff one of the largest cool stores in England, with a capacity of 100,000 tons, yet it held at the time only 200 toils, boner beef from Auckland ana Argentine mutton. The Hon. R. Vesty said that in his opinion there was no advantage in the chilled beef trade to New Zealand unless continuity of suppiy _ could be guaranteed. That would involve at least 10,000 tons per week, a target probably beyond New Zealand s capacity. .