WOOLSTON TANNERIES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 24 March 1926, Page 9

WOOLSTON TANNERIES

FINDING OF MR JUSTICE HOSKTNG. COMPANY’S CLAIM FAILS. By To!paraph—Truss Assonation WELLINGTON, March 23. The report of Mr Justice Hocking, sitting as a Itoval Commission to inquire into matters alleged in -the petition of the Woolston Tanneries, Limited, dated July 10, 1923, and presented to the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled, was made avnilab’o to-night, The heads of the complaint made hx the company in the petition -were niTproximnlply (l_) That, in consequence ol controlled prices during the period ol embargo on the export of hides, the petitioner, working in conjunction with tlu; Board of Trade, reduced its profit on sales on manufactured jsoods to the lowest margin, leaving no room to meet probable future losses; (2) that in con'sequence of the removal of the embargo and the rise of prices for hides to a- very high level, the Company had to purchase hides at those very high prices and incurred groat losses because, in view of the rise the petitioner 'was forced to choose between closing its works and causing a great amount ol unemployment and dislocating and important industry on the one hand, and the raising of its prices for its manufactured goods to such an extent as _ materially to increase the cost of living in New Zealand on the other hand.

The Commission was instructed to report whether the petitioning Company had suffered damage or injury in respect of the matters alleged in the petition, and if so what amount of eompensation the petitioner should in fairness and good conscience be allowed as such compensation. During the hearing certain matters were introduced which the Crown objected to ns being outside the scope of the Commission, but the Commissioner decided to hear them, leaving it for further consideration whether ho would bring in a separate finding on these points.

On the question, whether apart from the matters objected to, the Company has suffered damage in respect of matters alleged in the petition, under circumstances which in fairness and good conscience oniitles it, to compensation from the public funds, Judge Hosking said: “I have come to a conclusion and find that no such injury or damage has been suffered by t-ho petitioning company; (21 on matters objected to as not falling within the scope of tho Commission, T have come- io a similar conclusion, and I find tho Company has not suffered injury nr damage which in fairness and good conscience entitles it ro compensation from the public funds.”