MEAT BOARD CRITICISM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 841, 9 December 1929, Page 10

MEAT BOARD CRITICISM

ELECTOR ANSWERS CHARGES SALARIES AND CONTROL Press Association TIMARU, Sunday. Criticism of the Meat Producers’ Board, levelled by Mr. C. Dickie, chairman of the Patea Freezing - Company, was replied to yesterday by Mr. J. Trotter, who has been a member of the electoral committee of the board since its inception. Air. Dickie was reported as saying that the board was run by a few Canterbury sheep farmers and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and that its constitution seemed only a good opportunity for a few people to draw large salaries and fees from the mopey the board received in levies. Mr. Trotter said Mr. Dickie's reported remarks were full of mis-state-ments. In the first place, the board certainly was not run by Canterbury farmers, for the representation for each island was almost equal. Mr. D. Jones, M.P., who was the Government nominee, was elected chairman, and this gave the South Island one more member than the North. “Mr. Dickie is evidently trying the old dodge of North versus South,” said Mr. Trotter. Mr. Dickie talked about big salaries, but several times he had tried to get on the board himself. The work of the board called for the employment of experts, and they had to be paid good salaries. Mr. Dickie refrained from stating that the board’s advertising had put New Zealand meat on the map at Home; also that all abuses had been cut out and that New Zealand meat went on the market as it should go. Referring to Mr. Dickie’s statement that the board had purchased a site for cool stores in a useless position on the wrong side of the River Thames, Mr. Trotter said that since its inception the board had tried to reduce the cost of storage in London. Its efforts had been laughed at, so it bought a site. The board then made an offer to reduce storage charges. The offer was accepted, with the result that storage was £50,000 cheaper the following year. Mr. Trotter also quoted figures regarding advertising, to support his contention that Mr. Dickie had made his statement without any proof. In the present year, he said, the board had distributed 29,500 streamers, 82,500 cut-out showcards, 18,500 large showcards, 70.500 window discs, 5,000 van discs and 2,770,000 new booklets.