MEAT BOARD.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19803, 16 December 1929, Page 16

MEAT BOARD.

MR DICKIE'S ATTACK. (TRT.&3 ASSOCIATION TILZOaAM.) MASTEKTON, December 14. "Assertions of such a nature from prominent men leave the door open to traders and others, whose interests are far removed from the farmers' interests. Every attack of this sort, unless it is backed up with sounder grounds than this appears to be, is harmful to the fanner. It is to be regretted that it has been made," said the Hon. Mr McLeod in comment at Greytown on the recent criticism of the Meat Board by Mr H. G. Dickie, chairman of the Patea Freezing Company. The criticism was to the effect that the Board did little beyond advertising. No two men had done more for the meat industry than Mr Dickie and his brother, Mr McLeod said, and he admired the fight they had put up against difficult conditions. He could not agree with the attack, however, and thought it was much to be regretted that it had been made. Comparisons of New Zealand and Africa, he thought, were of little use, though a comparison with Australia was fair. He pointed out that before the war freight charges on produce were 10 per eent. higher in New Zealand than in Australia, the reason given being that there were only two or three loading ports in Australia, compared with over a dozen in the Dominion. To-day, however, any advantage in freight charges lay with New Zealand, a fact which spoke mnch for the work of the Meat Board, and it was only one instance of their good work. If the farmers once started throwing bricks at one another, or at the honest endeavours of a capable body of men, their own interests would be defeated.