WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1921, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE MEAT POOL. AIR MASSEY’S SCHEME. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. M'ELLINGTON, December 19. 'lbe meat pool, which Mr Alassey mentioned in the House of Representatives on Friday and promised to explain early this week, is suspected of having been inspired by the scheme of co-operative shipping and marketing with which Air AV. J. Poison has been tickling the ears of the farmers during the last lew months-. The Dom)inion President of the Farmers’ Union is not favourably disposed towards State interference in any form, except, perhaps. in the shape of a subsidy to a farmers’ shipping line, and his scheme has not contemplated any active intervention on tlie part or the Government But Mr Massey, who years ago took much the same view of such matters as ATr Poison does now, has come to realise by travel and observation that State interference within certain bounds need not be the abomination lie imagined it to be in the days ol his political youth. Air Poison’s scheme provided for the purchase of ship.-,, the erection of stores, the organisation of an expert staff and for many other things that would have cost a huge sum of money and occupied much time. THE STATE’S AY AY. At the present time it would be quite impossible for tlie farmers to fmnnee such a scheme, even with generous assistance from the Government, and no scheme that did not bring them inimediate relief would be of much practical value. Mr Alassey’s scheme. a»n it. has been foreshadowed provides for the Government taking charge of the meat at the freezing works and seeing it through all its succeeding stages till it reached the distributors in the overseas markets. The meat being graded at the factory, in preparation for its being sold according to its grade would save”tbe cost and delay and damage of sorting and repeated handlings and the Government's arrangements for railing, shipping and marketing might be expected to effect further economies, tin these points local business men, closely associated with the meat trade, are not particularly sanguine of State control working out as satisfactorily as its friends predict it will: but the producers are in sucli a sorry plight j ust now public opinion inclines to the view that any attempted remedy would lie better than callous inaction. AN UNEXPECTED AYITNESS.

The wisdom of having the departmental estimates revised by the Finance Committee before submitting them to Parliament was demonstrated this year by their returning to the House reduced by rather more than a quarter of a million. The biggest redaction was in the Defence Department where a coo! £IOO.OOO was docked off the official. Doubtless the Committee was moved towards this drastic action by tbe frank report of Afajor-General Sir Edward Cliaytor. the Commandant of the forces.. ‘‘Tbe centralising of the transport and supply services of the State into one organisation, in order to reduce overhead charges and duplication of expenditure by various departments, is recommended,” the General wrote in one paragraph. “It is considered that if a centralised sys-

tem were adopted at the chirr centres with due regard to business methods and the need in war of standardisation of patterns of vehicles economies of a far-reaching nature would he effected and the requirements for the defence of the Dominion in a national emergency more easily met.” The public has not been encouraged to look for exponents of economy among the high officers of the Defence Department but General Chapter has provided an exception tlie country will welcome very heartily.

THAT FARMERS’ .DEPUTATION. The Executive of the Shipowners and Farmers’ Federation appears to have suffered the fate popularly known as jumping out of the frying pan into the fire in its hasty attempt to dissociate itself from something it imagined bad born said by the big farmers’ deputation which waited upon Mr Alassey a month or two ago. First of all it wrote to the Prime Afinister, roundly disapproving of tbe statements made By the spokesmen of the deputation. Badly bowled out in this effort to relieve itself of responsibility, it declared its hearty concurrence with all Mr M\ D. Hunt, the principal spokesman, bad said, but hinted at some indiscretion on the part of other speakers. Now Air AA\ -T. Poison has entered the list and shown that, what he and the other minor speakers said was merely in support of Air Hunt’s ease. And so the Federation finds itself with all its excuses expended and its position less dignified than ever.