MUTTON AND LAMB

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 April 1940, Page 6

MUTTON AND LAMB

CONTROL BY MEAT BOARD DESIRED CRITICISM OF EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS. VIEWS OF FARMERS’ UNION. DissatisTael ion existing’ among' producers concerning fat sheep and lamb schedules and the declared need that lhe ileal Board should have charge of marketing and other arrangements, were discussed at today’s meeting' of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of lhe farmers’ Union. The secretary of the Wellington Central Provincial District (IVlanawatu) Farmers’ Union Executive wrote drawing the attention of provincial secretaries to the dissatisfaction existing among producers over the fat sheep and Jamb schedules, with particular reference to deductions on account of freight. As an example it was stated, fat lambs sent either by truck or motor lorry from the Marton district to Wanganui were debited for freight as for New Plymouth, while produce from the Feilding district, trucked or lorried to either the Feilding Longburn, or Wellington works, was charged as for Wellington. There were many anomalies and the situation had already been the subject of a protest meeting of farmers called by the Wanganui executive. The letter continued:—“My executive considered this mailer at a recent meeting when it was learned that theMeat Board had nothing to do with these arrangements, the whole thing being left to the freezing companies. We consider this quite wrong and had it been known that the Meat Board was not acting in the matter the Union would certainly have taken action. “It is considered that the Union should now move towards having the anomalies removed and in this we have requested that the help of the Meat: Board be secured. We believe that the Meat Board is the proper body to handle this Question and we consider that its powers should be extended to enable it to handle all. meat for export from the farms to lhe final disposal in London.. Hitherto the board has come into the picture only at f.0.b., but it is the opinion of my executive that lhe board should act internally with al! moat for export. In fact wo go further and consider that the board should handle all by-products and hides as well on behalf of the producers.”

On the motion of Mr J. C. Cooper the executive endorsed the recommendation of the Manawalu Provincial District, particularly with regal'd to the Moat Board controlling all matters in connection with mutton and lamb exports in pla<?e of Iho freezing companies. The freezing companies, added Mr Cooper, when moving his motion, were controlling quite a lot themselves. As far as it seemed to him, they had made their own charges this year. It. was pointed out by a member that at the Easier conference of the Mew Zealand Labour Party remits proposing Ihe abolition of the Meat and Dairy Boards appeared on the agenda paper.

Mr Hugh Morrison (president) pointed out the advantage of railing produce direct by rail Io Wellington. Ho stated that a very strong move had been made ny lhe Farmers’ Union to have lhe Meat Board control the commandeer of meal by lhe British Government, but the control went to the Agricultural Department. .through the Marketing Department,