FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10158, 11 July 1924, Page 8

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

BOARD ANO SHIPPING.

SPEECH BY MR W. D. LYSNAR

GISBORNE MEAT WORKS. WELLINGTON, July 10. Mr W D. Lysnar, the member for Gisborne, spoke in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives this aferaoon. He said there were three causes accentuating the depression in the country at the present time. The first was shipping, in connection with winch the irregular arrivals at Home were causing losses. He gave details ot these irregular arrivals. The great drop in the price of our butter in London from 214 s a cwt in January to 150 s on March 25, was due to irregular arrivals of cargoes. He estimated that the loss in butter and cheese to the farmers through this cause was £029,310 The losses for a year he estimated at £1,040,000. Mr Lysnar, speaking vehemently, condemned the shipping companies. He was against Stat© shipping— A Labour member: Well, what are

you driving at? ' Mr Lysnar: You'll find out presently " The scheme he approved, he con-1 tinned was one which had been adopted by the farmers and freezing works companies some years ago, and resuscitated last year. It was a scheme • o ask the Government to contribute a £ for £ subsidy. He had demonstrated with the Admiral Codrington that there was a big profit in shipping, though in this case they had laboured under difficulties. There should have been three or six ships, instead ot Referring to the Meat Board, he said it was necessary that the personnel should be altered. "I have, he said, "enough data to warrant me in applying to the Prime Minister to have Mr David Jones removed from that Board. (Labour members: Oh, on!) That, however, is a matter that is under the consideration of the Government at the present time. 1 don t propose to deal with it any further, but I say that Mr Jones should be removed from that Board. A member: What for? ' Mr Lysnar: I'll not discuss what tor. Later on it may be necessary to give the House this information. UntiLit is dealt with by the Government 111 leave it alone. At the present time 1 have made certain charges. I made them to Mr Jones before, he left the Dominion, and he wrote his reply. Sale to vestey Bros.

"And now," said Mr Lysnar, 1 have a grievance against my respected friend, Mr Nosworthy, as Minister ot 'Agriculture." A member: Do it gently. Mr Lysnar: I'll do it as gently as 1 can. (Laughter.) It is, of course, in connection with the sale of the Poverty Bay meat works to Vestey Brothers Mr Lysnar proceeded to state that he was not going to say anything at that juncture about the National Bank of New Zealand, which had been responsible for the initial steps. The world would not say anything good, had, or indifferent as to what thev did, and he wished to make it plain that there was no desire that the authorities should interfere with the bank s right to sell under its mortgage. What the company asked, and expected, was that die bank should stop selling to a combine or trust. That was the whole and she only point, Personally, he was interested to the extent of £20,000, and though it was a big loss, fortunately it was not his all. But there were some people in the concern who had lost their all. These were the people he was concerned about and felt sorry for. There were men who had retired m>m business, who had put their all into the company, and had now to start again. As to Trusts, he challenged any man in this Dominion to say he had fought Trusts more than he (the speaker). They were getting away with his swag to the extent of £20,0W l He felt that, and he felt for all those who had retired from business and had to open their doors again. Minister's Action Criticised.

This would not have happened had the matter been dealt with impartially and fairlv by the Minister of Agriculture. He would assume that what the Minister did he honestly believed was the right and proper thing, but what ■he did was not'in the interests of the Dominion as a whale. If that was his best, then it was up to the House to | consider the question,- and see what was to be done to protect others who might he in the same position, j; he Minister showed weakness in facilitating that sale, and in not heeding the appeal of 538 shareholders',, but snowin" the works to pass out to the biggest Trust in the world. It was a Trust with £8,700,000 behind it. The Government and the House that could allow that must answer to somebody. He would leave the House to its conscience to consider that. He had no fault to find with the Government as a whole. It was the Minister of Agrc-J culture. Had the Prime Mimsterbeen here when the Minister took those steps, he (Mr Lysnar) would have cast the responsibility on the. Government. But he cast it on the Minister and on the Meat Board. On the motion of the Hon. W. Nosworthv, the House agreed to give Mr Lysna'r an extension of time, and Mi Lysnar then switched on to other SU Mr C Nosworthy did not trouble to reply, bv way of personal explanation, to Mr Lysnar's comments on himself.