VALUE OF HIDES

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 72, 24 March 1916, Page 6

VALUE OF HIDES

REDUCED BY FIFTEEN SHILLINGS. FARMERS VOICE A COMPLAINT. . Farmers arc complaining that the prohibition enforced by the Government on the export of hides has reduced the value of store cattle to the extent of 15/ each. The position was explained this morning by Major D. H. Lusk, of the Farmers' Union. lie said that when the Government found that a shortage of leather existed for the making of strong military boots it was decided that no hides should be allowed to leave the Dominion until further notice. The fact was evidently overlooked that the tanneries of New Zealand are capable of dealing with only one-fourth of the hides produced in the Dominion. It was realised that this would have the effect of causing a glut and enabling tanners to obtain their supplies at much lower prices. Then the Government decided to stipulate that producers must not be paid lesß than a certain price, and also to provide that special permits to export migfit bo obtained under certain conditions. At the first auction sales after the prohibition the price fell considerably, and the position to-day was that the price of hides all round had fallen to the extent of 2d per lb. : "What the Government should have done," said Major Lusk. "was to commandeer all the hides that were required for the manufacture of military boots— something like 85,000 pairs. They coulu have left competition to do the rest." The epcaker added that, it was his intention to interview the Minister of Munitions on the subject, in order to see if something could not be done to restore the value of the hides held by fanners.