INTERVIEW WITH MR N. G GRIBBLE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15170, 7 January 1915, Page 8

INTERVIEW WITH MR N. G GRIBBLE.

(PhESR ASSOCIATION T__T_S_-*_--.) WELLINGTON, January 6. Mr N. G. Gribble, secretary of the Hamilton Branch of tho New Zealand Farmers' Cnion. and of the Waikato Graziers' Association (the .latter body comprising the stock-raisers of the Waikato) passed through Wellington on his way to Christchurch this evening. In an interview. Mr Gribble confirmed what has already boen said of the serious position of the moat trade,'especially relating to tho Auckland province, with the stock-raisers of which ho is in very close touch. He said that he need only quote one caso to pro.o what had been said about tho space difficulty. On behalf of clients lie had 1000 head of cattle waiting to be frozen, but there was no prospect of their being dealt with owing to thc lack of shipping space, and tho result wife that they were spoiling, or, in stock-raisers' parlance, becoming "over-ripe." Some of these cattle had been ready since November, yet they could not be dealt with. He had been most disappointed with tho way thoso in authority had dealt with the matter, especially as ho himself had brought tho difficulty under their notice quite early enough for action to have been taken. He had heard commercial men in high positions say that Mr Massey's repeated statements in the House on tho question reassuringly saying that there was plenty of space up till the end of January wero childish, and they had also expressed the wish that Mr Massey would, refer to them and to others who knew something about tho matter. With reference to the deputation which waited upon Mr Massey in Auckland, Mr Gribble said that it was early in December that, in company with Mr A. Schmidt, secretary of the Auckland Branch of tho Farmers' Union, and with a representative of the Auckland Fanners' Freezing Company, ho waited upon the Prime Minister to place before him the urgent requirements of the position. The Freezing Company was armed with papers and figures showing the actual difficulties that had arisen, but Mr Massey had said that he did not want figures, and again made a general statement that there was sufficient tonnage to the ond of January. At that deputation, Mr Gribble said, he liad made the suggestion that a Board of Trade should bo immediately set up to deal with this and similar matters. Ho had mado several suggestions to the Prime Minister on the subject. . Ho was now more than ever of the opinion that if such a body of experts had handled the matter the difficulty which had arisen would have been, to some extent anyway, averted — possibly altogether. He knew that other commercial men held tho same views as he did.