THE MEAT CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 215, 19 February 1915, Page 2

THE MEAT CRISIS.

3IH M'AiSSEY'S PROMISES. AWKWARD POSITION FOR THE PEODUOJiitS. Deunedin, February l(i, Speaking to a Daily Times reporter this evening, Mr H. G. Hill, general manager of t!ii> Bristol and Dominions Producers' Association, saul, regarding the question cf insulated tonnage, that he had not received a reply from the Prime .Minister regarding the offer of his association to pay £SOOO towards the cost of bringing an additional steamer to -Now Zealand. Mr Hill said that the letter sent by tile Patea Freezing Company to him had been .published, and he considered that the parties concerned should have also given to the press the letter M.' Hill sent to the Patea Company, which brought forth the reply published. Mr Hill's letter is dated .January 11th. After expressing the opinion that, in fairness tu Mr Hill, tile manager of the Patea Company should give the press information that every statement made by Jiim (ilr llilll had been made oil information given by the manager of the company, Mr ilijx said he wished to state that tfie position for some time hti(l assumed a most serious aspect, and when clients all over the country had stated tliat 'they wanted space arranged for certain quantities of stock, the association had endeavoured to make arrangements on their beaalf. To a certain extent the" association was successful. Then neai-ly all tlie works, including Patea, were unable to take further quantities, and were a'so unable, to a very large extent, to arrange sufficient siiippiiiir accommodation. The Prime Minister was continually making statements that sufficient accommodation was available, and the association representatives were saying to Mr Hill. ''How is it you say you cannot arrange to take our clients' stock 011 account of the shortage of shipping space while the Prime Minister makes a dofnite statement that sufficient space is avaiable at least to the end of January?" THE POLITICAL ASPECT.

Mr Hill added: "The position had become so acuta that, on January Ist, 1 telegraphed the position privately lo the Prime Minister, and 011 the 4t'h received a reply from i'almerstou North, stating that he would go into the whole matter 011 arrival in 'Wellington that afternoon. Naturally I thought he would have given rae the opportunity pi laying before him the. information I had, and then used liis judgment as to whether it was or was not as I stated. "You can judge of my surprise when, next morning, a statement was published which, to say the least, was misleading. Only two courses were open to ine— (lj to keep quiet and have my previous statement disproved., or (2) "to make a statement to the press to justify my previous statement to our clients.' Tile latter course 1 decided to adopt, but the curse of the whole business is that party polities have been introduced. In my opinion party politics are becoming a blight 011 our national life, and no question can be considered' from the national standpoint hut what party politics or political motives are assigned to anyone taking a prominent part. 1 have simply done my duty as manager of the Producers' Association, for I take tihe view that th c farmers in Zealand are producers lirst and ■political partisans afterwards, and mv experience of the farmer is this—that i'l'e :s more anxious to avoid a loss than to study political parties. The attitude I have taken up all along is that we should face this position as Britons, realising tiiat it is after all only a veiv small difficulty compared with what the other portions of the lljiiipirc are su;I'ering as a result of the war. No 'Government could be held responsible for 1 hj(. shortage caused bv the Admiralty taking shi'ps for transports, neither could shipping companies, >(>ut m,opinion, has been all along, and is still that the farmers should be tolil t : '.e exact position—and let them face it. Yv'e have 110 right to live in a 'fool's varndise.' [ trust you will realise that o\en il every action of mine has not met with your favour, the motives prompting it have been in the interests of those whom 1 venresent." Mr ITill furthr stated that the re-niv to the above letter was received 011 ] .>th •Tanuarv, and it was rather astonishing that it was not considered necessary to publish it until one month afterwards. In answer (0 a quest ion. .Mr ITill stated that, unless some controversial point vfis raised or new matter introduced, he I nd no inlentiou of prolonging the controversy. for he recognised Hint no further good could be accomplished bv 1 ecrimination. Everyone was doivi" what was possible lo'minimise (he 1(,« 'hat the country was faced with, and lo this end hp was desirous of joinins* with others in doing what was best for the country. J