WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

TRARE RESTRICTIOXS. CROWiNG DISSATISFACTION. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, .March 2d. To-day a private deputation representative of the financial and commercial interests of the Dominion waited upon the Prime .Minister in the hope of expediting the time when he might put into operation his election slogan of " l.ess Government in business and more business in Government.” What the members of the deputation situl to Mr Coates and what Mr Coates said to the members of the deputation must remain a secret between the parties concerned ; hut gossip has it that the speakers of flic deputation referred m very frank terms to the growing discontent among sections of the community that had helped largely in giving th o Reformers their huge majority at the polls nearly five months ago. The deputation, it is understood, did not concentrate specially on the troubles of the dairv industry or the meat industry or ;iuy other industry that is menaced by “absolute control;” hut demanded a return to sound business methods in which, the individual 01 the firm, or the company, as the ease might he, would not he harassed by the State or by any body to which the State might delegate its authority. It is said, with wliat authority there is ;It the moment no means of ascertaining, that the -Minister was largely in sympathy with the representations of tiie deputation and that lie promised to make a public announcement on the subject in the course of a lew days.

FREEZING WORKS. Mr David .Tones, the chairman of the Meat Producers’ Hoard, made his promised statement in regard to the hold-up of the sale of Hie Wellington Meat Company’s works to Borthwieks yesterday. By the majority of the business community it is not regarded us a very impressive review ol the situation. "It was recognised by tae board soon after its inception.” Mr ■Jones says by way of introducing bis contentions, " tli.it we bail more freezing works operating in this eountiv than we required to handle the quantity of slock available for export, and if was only a nuestion ol time when some of them would cease to operate. The board fully realised the danger of these derelict or invalid works would be to our trade: that overseas interests might, endeavour to acquire them at a low capital cost, and that uitli all the other advantages which these overseas interests possess, they would soon cause trouble to the remaining locally-owned works, and might, eventually, endeavour to acquire them also, or push them out ol business. It fb’ position were allowed to eventuate, the overseas interests would then he in a position ol dominating the whole of our frozen meat trade.” All this makes familiar reading. The trust bogv is revived in its most virulent form, and the “ horrid example ” of South America is introduced to illustrate the perils of employing British capital. AT ANY BRICK. Probably the substance of Mr.Jones’s deliverance has been broadcasted by the Press Association, but its concluding paragraph wilT bear repetition. * f would emphasise,” the chairman states. “ that the whole duty of the New /calami .Meat Producers’ Hoard is to watch over and snleguard the interests of the meat producers of New Zealand, and its policy has received practically the unanimous support ol the sliccplarii ers of this Dominion. The Government has placed enormous powers in the hands of the board to enable it to carry out its duty, and it will not hesitate to exercise these powers to tin' lull extent should any position arise to warrant it. In conclusion, it would not he- out of place to point out that anything that affects the producers also ,afleets every man. woman and child of this Dominion, because tinwhole country is supported by its production of meat, wool anil dairy produce.” There can be no doubt that the concern of the chairman ol the Meat Board for the sheepfarmer and the men. women and children of the Dominion is perfectly sincere. Imt in the (minion of ninnv people here who profess to share his concern he has not made out a clear case for leaving the Wellington Company to go to tile wall rather than allow it to accept British capital towards the mitigation of its I roubles. A SHAREHOLDER’S VIEW. A shareholder in the company, who gave bis support to the undertaking purely as an investment and can afford to regard his loss with equanimity, wants to know why the board, with the enormous powers Mr Jones says the Government lias placed in its hands, could not control the works if they were run by British capital, as effectively as it has been doing while they were being run by local capital. What particular difficulties, he puts it in another way, would Borthwieks present that the Wellington Meat Company lias not been presenting all along? The board. .Mr .Jones boasts, will not hesitate to exercise the powers placed in its bands to the full extent should occasion arise. Then, asks the shareholder again, why make all this fuss over a propsal to transfer from one company to another? On this point the chairman of the .Meat Producers’ Board has not made his position clear and this shareholder is not alone in asking for a more precise statement of the position. The absence of foil information has led to ninnv speculations as to the attitude of vim Meat Producers’ Board and the Government. I here is talk of guarantors that have to he saved from heavy losses and of other people who would he better served by delay. Mr Jones’s statement has not stilled gossip of this kind.