NEW ZEALAND RABBITS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9794, 18 October 1917, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND RABBITS

A GLUT IN TEH SOUTH ISLAND. OWING TO DEADLOCK WITH BEITISH GOVERNMENT. Mr G. J. Anderson,. M.P. for Mataura, asked the 'Prime Minister what the Govenunent intended to do- in regard to tne export of rabbits. He had received a teit-graun from a rabbit exporter at Mataura to tho following effect: “Consider Government morally bound to purchase* seeing they held Imperial offer trom X>ccomber 22nd until September 2Sth.” His information was .tbat tho Imperial Government bad made an offer for last season’s output of ra/bbits, but that the department’s officer had not made this offer to the rabbit exporters at a meeting in Dunedin. Mr Massey said he was not conversant with the details of the negotiations when the offer of the Imperial Government had begn made. All .he could do would bo to ask them to take over the output at the price offered by the Imperial authorities. This he would do. but he could not say ■whether ihe Imperial Government would comply with the request. Evidently there had been a misunderstanding between the department and the exporters. The Hon. W. D. S. MlaoDonald haid that the Imperial Government’s offer had been mode to the exporters. He read correspondence showing that the rabbit exporters had complimented the department’s officer for the manner in which he had conducted the negotiations. Mr Anderson said that he had been informed by the exporters tbat the offer had not been made. They had been asked to make an offer which had not been accepted. Mr MacDonald said the hon gentleman had been misinformed. The price asked by the exporters was '2os a case, and the Imperial Government offered 18s. As a result of the deadlock it was stated 120,000 cases had accumulated in the South Idland.