LATE CITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 526, 1 December 1928, Page 13

LATE CITY

NO CHANGE IN POLICY transfer of meat LICENCE PRIME minister explains Press Association WELLINGTON, To-day. With reference to criticism of the action of the Minister of Agriculture in approving the transfer of the fiance of the Waingawa Meat Works from the Bank of New Zealand, to Thos. Borthwick and Sons (Aust.), rad, expressed by the chairman in his remarks at the recent annual meeting of the Wellington Meat Export Company, the Prime Minister, in a statement, says. •■lt is suggested that the action of •he Government and the Meat Producers Board in this matter is a complete change from the policy adopted in not approving the application for ‘ transfer of the Wellington Meat Export Co.’s Ngahauranga works, together with the Kakariki Works, to Borthwick's some little time ago. I may point out, however, that the two cases are not analagous, seeing that the Ngahauranga works are very definitely one of the key works of the Dominion, whereas the Waingawa works could not be used for other than local stock except under very serious disadvantages. The works of the Wellington Meat Export Company at Ngaji an rang a are unquestionably the key works, seeing that they are situated very conveniently to Wellington, and at a point where the main lines of transportation converge from east and west. This constituted the main reason why the Government and the Meat Board, while declining to approve the transfer In the case of the Key works at Ngahauranga. agreed to it in the case of the local works at Waingawa. ‘Jt must be borne in mind also that it is of great importance to the Walj era pa district that the Waingawa works shall be in full operation forthwith to deal with fat stock, particularly lambs off mothers, and this made the question of transferring the licence one that had to be decided with the least possible delay. Although the bank had been operating these works for the last season, it was strongly adverse to continuing to do so for the coming season.” Mr. Coates says, also: “It is somewhat significant that the chairman of the Wellington Meat Export Company admitted in his remarks that public leeling seemed to be with the Government when it declined to agree to the company’s application some time ago to transfer its licence. I think it will be found that the action of the Government in the present case will also meet with general approval, particularly in tho producing district more immediately concerned.”