WOOLLEN GOODS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29552, 29 June 1961, Page 11

WOOLLEN GOODS

Mr Begg Replies To Mr Lane

“After a little more than tow years I am still awaiting the courtesy of a reply from the New Zealand Woollen Malte* Association to my offer to meet the association. ’’ said the chairman of the meat and wool council of Federated Farmers (Mir A. C. Begg) on Tuesday.

He was replying to a statement by the president ot the association (Mr W. G. Lane) in Saturday’s issue of "The Press." inviting him to the association’s meeting on August 23 to discuss the high customs duty on woollen goods. "On May 9, 1957, the association invited me to attend a meeting in Christehwch on June 19, 1957, a day on which I had to be in Wellington at a meat and wool council meeting,” said Mr Begg. “I replied on May 13 offering to meet the association on any dey later than June 19. “I wrote a further tetter on June 26 after the association had published a statement that ‘we still hope to pin him down to a definite date,' pointing out that I had received no reply to my offer. I am still waiting tor a reply “In view of the foregoing I feel no inclination to accept Mr Lane’s new invitation. However, as the resolutions he refers to were the views of the meat and wool conference of Federated Farmers, and as the supply of woollen goods to the New Zealand market is of considerable, interest to the buying public generally and to woolgrowers in particular, I am prepared to invite Mr Lane and his associates to the meat and wool council meeting on September 6, and I shall be happy also to invite the press and, if possible, the Minister of Industries and Commerce.” Mr Begg said.