I.W.S. value doubted

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33383, 15 November 1973, Page 2

I.W.S. value doubted

(N.Z. Press Association) HAMILTON, November 14. A King Country farming leader today described the International Wool Secretariat as “little more than an ivory tower,” and said that many farmers would be quite happy to see New Zealand’s contribution to the body dropped altogether. Mr H. W. Gibbons, chairman of the King Country branch of the Sheep and Cattlemen’s Association, was commenting on the Govern-

ment’s decision to cut its grant to the I.W.S. by s2.Bm. “From the comments of members I’ve spoken to you can take it that this is one time we agree with the Government,’’ Mr Gibbons said. Whether farmers would be willing to pay extra to restore New Zealand’s contribution he could not say—“but there is general disenchantment with the 1.W.5.” “NO INVENTIONS” He had strong reservations about the value of the international wool body—for its members it appeared to be a case of “get the wool, sell it and let’s live very high.” "There’s never been a committee on the lines of the I.W.S. that invented such things as the motor-car, the train, or even the clothes peg. ; “None of these bodies living on grants have come up ' with anything like the big chemical companies have to ! make life easier for farmers,” ' Mr Gibbons said. “BACK-SCRATCHING” It would not matter if New ■ Zealand withdrew from the I.W.S. completely, he said. In i

farmer politics there was far too much hero worship and back-scratching, with many farmers frightened of treading on each other’s toes—and this could well be the basis for opposition to the Government’s cuts in grants for research. But in Dunedin today, the president of Otago Federated Farmers (Mr W. W. Reid), said that the Government cut in its grant to the I.W.S. provided suspicion that it was a punitive measure against farmers. Mr Reid disagreed with the comment by Mr Gibbons. However, he said he would like his belief in the effectiveness of the I.W.S. confirmed by a fairly close examination of its activities. On a recent overseas trip he had seen evidence of good wool promotion work. Although there did not appear to be an upsurge in wool sales, the promotional work of the I.W.S. was seen in many displays in leading stores. Wool would be in a much worse position today without the efforts of the 1.W.5.. said Mr Reid. J __