RABBITSKIN LEVY

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23717, 15 August 1942, Page 3

RABBITSKIN LEVY

STRONG CRITICISM A meeting of about 40 delegates from rabbiters’ committees in Otago and Canterbury was held In Dunedin on Tuesday night, and there was what the "Otago Daily Times” describes as caustic criticism and condemnation of the Minister of Labour and the chairman of the Rabbitskin Committee. Several speakers expressed the opinion that the Rabbitskin Committee was incompetent and had little, if any, knowledge Of the rabbitskin industry. One member went so far as to say that the Dunedin Skin Committee • "is in such a mess now that it does not know which way to turn, and it should be left where it is and become stuck up to the neck.” Mr J. S. Adams (Otekaike) explained that the meeting had been called to protest against the levy of 20 per cent, on rabbiters’ earnings in the winter, the sum so received to be utilised as a subsidy for skins trapped in the summer. The rabbiters also desired that the levy (now reduced to 10 per cent.) collected up to the present should be paid back to the rabbiters. (The whole of the levy has since been remitted.) The chairman was here Informed that a representative from the general labourers was at the door, but the meeting decided by vote that he could not be admitted. Mr Adams read letters from the Hon. Adam Hamilton, Mr J. Acland, M.P., Mr D. C. Kidd, M.P., Mr P. Neilson, M.P.. and a press report of a statement by Mr J. D. McKechnie, vice-president of the Importers’ and Shippers’ Association, each of whom either condemned the scheme outright or promised to give the protest of the association full consideration. “Here we have in Dunedin a Skin Committee composed, with one or two exceptions, of city visionaries, and they have conceived the brilliant idea that to get rid of the rabbit you must penalise the rabbiter,” he said. A “Rabbit Punch” The ears of Mr Webb and the members of the Dunedin Skin Committee, continued the report, must have burned with the comment made upon them in connexion with the scheme and their attitude to it, and one delegate moved that Mr Webb be given till August 17 to pay back the money collected up to date — he stated that it was some £20,000 or £3o,ooo—and that if it was not paid the rabbiters "walk out. A This appeared to be something in the nature of a "rabbit punch,” and the motion was defeated. One speaker said, amidst “Hear hears, that if the Government rabbit inspectors did their duty without fear or favour they would see a great improvement in the killing of rabbits. The Levy and Skin Prices It was also stated that Mr Burgess (chairman of the Rabbitskin Committee) had said at the deputation of rabbiters which had waited on Mr Webb in Wellington, that if the price of rabbit skins fell below £5 8s a 100 net to the rabbiter, the levy would not be imposed, but that, in spite of the fact that many rabbiters received less than the £5 Bs, the scheme was still in existence. A motion by the chairman that Mr Burgess be asked why his promise at the deputation in Wellington, that if the price dropped below £5 8s a 100 the levy would not operate, had not been kept, was carried unanimously. The lengthiest discussion took place on the question whether the meeting should agree as asked to appoint a co-opted, member to the Rabbitskin Committee. It was explained that such a member would not have voting power. One delegate appeared to voice the opinion of the meeting when he stated that they did not want to work in conjunction with' the Dunedin Skin Committee, but against it It was finally decided on a vote to appoint a co-opted member to the Skin Committee, provided that such member be permitted to attend every meeting of the committee.

been completed by February, only just in time to meet the freight squeeze. Before the war, the S. and A. Company had employed about 2000 hands but last year had 5500 on the payroll. Britain’s Huge Investments Speaking of Britain’s stake in Argentina Sir James declared that out of 533 millions sterling of foreign investments Great Britain’s share was £320.000,000, or 60 per cent, of the total. The U.S.A. followed with 19J per cent., and, of all countries, Germany came last with a miserable investment of less than one-half of one per cent. (0.4 ■per cent.), so that Argentina could judge her friends. The champion steer at the National fat stock show last week was the subject of a good deal of weight estimating by farmers and butchers. The steer was a two-year-old of the Aber-deen-Angus breed, and when killed dressed the. exceptional weight— for a beast of