MR LYSNAR’S CHARGES

Hokitika Guardian, 23 March 1925, Page 4

MR LYSNAR’S CHARGES

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. ! OPENING STATEMENT CONCLUDED. WELLINGTON, March 20. At the Meat Commission to-day the liairiuan announced that the comlissioners had, in view of the wordng of the order of reference and in icw of the fact that the commission ,as not directed to inquire into the leccssity or expediency of any proiosed legislation, decided that they ould not allow evidence which would ie admissahle before the Parliamenarv Committee. The commission cerainly would not allow evidence which night he deemed to be expert evilencc or evidence of the opinion of one lass of the community, as to what hey thought the law should he. inch a matter would not help the eomnission to deal with and arrive at contusions, and enable it to report upon piestions which had been reierred to t, those questions being very clearly mil definitely set out. 1 Continuing the evidence, Mr Duxiolil said that killing at the Farmers’ Jo-operative works at llorotiu was •oiumeneed in January, 191(>. lhe ■onipany had a full hoard and did successfully in the first season, flic vorks had not operated this year, being used now as abattoirs, because the ipposing company (Y estcy Brothers) at Westfield had sent buyers out to pur•liase stock in the paddocks. Vesteys had also attempted this season to capture the butter for freezing by offering what farmers considered too low a price, hut this was I rostrated by the farmers’ companies. The feeling ol the farmers was that Vesteys were acting in the way of all trusts—monopolising the market. Replying to Mr Kkerrott, witness admitted that since 191(5 there had boon too many freezing works An the Dominion and that the necessary effect of this overplus was the production of keen competition in freezing and killing. It was not a lad that from the time the commandeer ceased witness’s company was in trouble. Mr Myers asked Air Lysnar what would have happened if lie had succeeded in inducing the Meat Hoard not to consent to the sale ol \ esteys or to transfer the license. Mr Lysnar: Everything would have gone oil as before. Mr Jolly said that the hank would send for us to carry on. Mr Myers: Indeed, I want that down. sir. .Mr Lvstiar repeated his statement. „.r Mvers: There will bo very strong conlliet on that if Mr Lysnar swears that. Mr l.vsnar: If you get the truth, you will get that.

Mr .Mvers: Wo don’t discuss wind’s the truth now, Mr Lysnar. Do volt mean us to understand that Mr Jolly was practically inviting you to get the sale stopped, and that if you got it stopped the hank would ask you to earrv our'

Mr Lysnar said that Mr Jolly 00rtainlv said that.

Mr Mvers: Mr Jolly still doesn’t expect that you will ever lead the Archangel Gabriel’s choir. (Laughter.)

Sir John Findlay: I suppose you know that they had put the receiver in. A very drastic step, wasn’t it? Air l.vsnar. L know, hut they could not make us bankrupt. Me alleged that the hank had supplied wrong information as to the position ol his company In the chairman of the Aleut i’.aurd and the .Minister for Agriculture. Evidence, he declared, would he given in support of that. Me did not know what action they would have to take in regard to the statement that the company was bankrupt. Air Skerrett: I would treat it with silent contempt. (Laughter.) Sir John Findlay: You will agree that io the ordinary wa\ a Ilian's

hanker is the 7 ids I, judge ol his position. Yon can’t blame the .Minister for believing what your hanker said. Air Lysnar: Yea, I agree. Me alleged that the hank kept Hie company sl ringing on for two days while the Aleut Board was making lip its mind wind her to agree to the transfer of the license to VesLeys. lie did not think that was fair. Till the hoard had made up its mind lhe hank did lint tell 11 10 company its own decision. However, lie would not ,go into that statement.

The chairman : That 11 bankrupt ” statement ? Air Lysnar: Yes. If lie went into it. lie added, lie might take a day or two to get through with if. hot it did seem that the Meat Hoard, particularly the chairman, was acting on inl'iinnal ion received from the hank. This was shown, lie contended, by a cable sent by Air .Jones 011 September 22. 1£23, to .Messrs Fraser and Forsyth, London which stated, inter alia, "National Bank New Zealand Ltd put receiver into Lvsnar’s works. Alanagar bank saw me and disclosed hopeless

condil ion work and Admiral C'odrington.” The .Al’ent Hoard and .Minister bad been acting upon such information without disclosing ii. to the directors of lhe company. That was the unfortun-

ate-part of it. Handing in a number of documents hearing 011 the case Air Lysnar closed his opening statement nL 3.50 p.m. It thus lasted practically three days.

Considerable discussion took place as to procedure and other matters, and at 5.39 p.m. the Commission adjourned till Tuesday.