THE MEAT POOL.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1922, Page 4

THE MEAT POOL.

ELECTION OF THE BOA1M).

REPLY TO CRITICISM

WELLINGTON, March 24

Certain statements made at a. meeting of the Dominion 'Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, dealing with the election of the Moat Export Control Board were referred to by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hob. W. F. Massey) to-day in the course of an interview.

Mr Massey stated that one of the speakers was reported as saying: “Instead of being elected by the producers, the board virtually had been nominated by the Government. The appointment of the board had been a hole-and-corner business, and the farm ers in his district bad no confidence whatever in the hoard as constituted.” Captain Colbeck said the Government had had a majority on the committee and had elected whom it liked. Another member said it was a. Government board.

“These genetlemen,” said Mr Massey, “evidently do not understand the position. At a very largely attended meeting of producers held in Wellington in January, a committee of four teen was elected, seven from the North Island and seven from the South Island. These, with the six members of Parliament, who had taken part in drafting the original scheme were the committee appointed bv the regulations under the Act to elect the first members of the Control Board. Five members were accordingly oleeted, leaving two to he appointed by the stock and station agents. The two members appointed by the Government were Mr Da.vid Jones and Mr A. E. Harding, the latter particularly representing the Auckland and Taranaki districts, which up to then had not been given a representative. The Government took no part in the election of the hoard and had positively nothing to do with it. T think Mr W. D. Hunt, the nominee of the stock and station agents oil the hoard, is personally interested in farming pursuits, and I am quite certain tlia.t all the other members of the Board are farmers and have the confidence of th ( , fanning community, not only in their own districts, hut right through the Dominion where they are known. The Control Board has started well, and T believe it will do really good work.