WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1926, Page 1

WELLINGTON NEWS

THE AIFAT HOARD’S POLICY

(Special to “ Guardian.”)

\YF.U.INGTOX. .March *24

The m,nill-dehated question whether or no the slaughtering license held by the Wellington Meat Hxport Company should bo transferred to Bortlnvick and IV,ns, who have agreed to purchase the Company’s works, received a new colour at the week-end. Mr David Jones, the Chairman of the Meat Hoard has made an official statement relative to overseas meat interests in New Zealand. The- Hoard recommended the .Minister of Agriculture not to sanction the transfer of the license, and the .Minis! or accepted the recommendation. Air Jones says it was generally regarded as u vorv wise policy to keep our frozen meat works from falling into outside hands, and to maintain an open door policy and I reedom of trading. In swnport ol tins lie quotes tile circumstances existing in the Argentine and Uruguay where ail the Ircwdiig works are- owned or controlled by overseas interests.

If w farmer was di-saLished with the price olfered for his stock by the [lackers, there were no facilities for him to ship on his own account and so lestthe market for himself, lie had no alternative hut to accept whatever prices were olfered, and of course Mr Jones wishes us to infer from this that the same conditions will arise in .New Zealand if Horthwick and Sons and others are allowed to acquire interests in freezing works in Xew Zealand. The conditions in the South American !‘opuhlic and Xew Zealand are not the same. In the Argentine the industry receive* l iis mam, ii not entire support from British and American capital. Here the industry was built up mainly by local capita!, and from the outset it has been the rule lo allow farmers to ship mi their own account, and the Fees lor uiideriaking this work art well known. When Wstey’s inquired the Poverty Hay Works they agreed to provide facilites for those farmers who

v. bd ed to deal with fat stock on their ow n account. This of course is quite a voluntary concession, hut it is within the newer of the .Minister to make it compulsory. The .Minister has ' ~ o power to refuse a license to slaughter or cancel one already granted lor good an- suUieienl reasons. Clothed with this power there is nothing to prevent the Minister making it a condition of the license that farmers who wish io freeze and ship mutton, lamb and beef on own account should not he barred from using the works by prohibitive charges or in other ways. Indeed, most people would think it right that such a condition should tie attached to every slaughtering license issued for freezing companies whether they are locally

owned or controlled from outside. The objection stated by Air Jones is capable of being remedied in a simple and effective wav, but that is not the real reason for ‘refusing Bortlnvick’s the license. The “ Evening Post” m dealimr with the sugject says, "In the Meat Export Act the- Government had the power to protect producers by refusing renewal of license to any for-eign-owned concern proved to be miiltv of improprieties of the kind contemplated when that power was vested i„ the Minister. It has that powet it had it when it agreed to the transfer of the undertaking of the Poverty Bay Mioep Farmers’ Company, of Gisborne, to Vcstcy Brothers, an overseas firm. The circumstances in some respects were different- from those of the Aleat Export Company; but no amount of reasoning or explanation on the part ol Mr Jones, or the Government can alter the fact that in one case the transfer of a license was permitted, and in the other it was refused, the transferees in both eases being British overseas companies. WOOL STATISTICS.

Some interesting figures are available respecting the Wellington wool sales Held sn far this season. Four sales have already been hold this season and the final sale is to be hold at the week-end. At the first sale held in November 070-1 hales were offered and !!175 hales were sold, the prices realised bowing an average of £lO 15s IJd per bale, and 13.372 d per pound. This happened to he the best sale of the season, as was the case in the previous season. At the December sale 25,13fi bales were offered and 21.(307 were sold, the average prices being Cl 7 Os Hid per bale and 11.757 d per pound. There was thus a sharp drop of 45s nor bale as compared with the November sale.

fn January 25,094 bales were offered and 23,703 were sold, the average prices being '.CI7 10s lid per bale and 11.776 d per pound. There- was a recovery of 10s per bale which was nearly all lost at the February sales when 25,100 bales were offered and 24,734 sold, the average prices realised being £l7 11s 4d per bale and 11.576 d per pound. Thus for the four sales the quantity offered was 85.131 bales and the quantity sold 79.300 bales, equal to 03.1(3 per cent, of the offerings, and the average over the four sales was £lB Is Id per hale and 12.115 per pound. The quantity sold represented in cash about C 003.751 all of which has been distributed and with the final sale on Saturday it is probable that the total will he approximately a million sterling;. This scents to he the most effective method of marketing produce.