New freezing co-operative suggested for Patea

Press, 8 July 1982, Page 2

New freezing co-operative suggested for Patea

PA New Plymouth A new freezing ’ works should be established at Palea under a co-operative farmer-worker system, said the leader of the Social Credit Political League (Mr Beetham), at a public meeting in Patea called to discuss the closing in August of the existing freezing works. He said farmers would put up half of the equity capital and the workers the other half from low-interest Government loans. Once the loans were repaid. company shares would supplement workers' • incomes. Mr Beetham said. Mr V. S. -Young (Nat.), the member of Parliament for Waitotara, said attempts to establish such a co-operative in the King Country had failed.

The secretary of the New Zealand Meat Workers' Union. Mr A. J. Kennedy, got a hearty response when he told the 500 people at the meeting: "If you storm Government offices, all go down

to Wellington in buses, and park your tractors across the road, attention must be brought away from Mr Quigley, the National Party conference (to open in Hamilton on July 30) and Clutha." The meeting unanimously resolved to demand that the Government provide immediate finance for a feasibility study on keeping the works, or part of them, open "in view of the enormous social consequences that closing them would bring to south Taranaki.”

A motion ignored a statement bv Mr Young, who told the meeting that money would not be available unless someone with adequate financial resources was prepared to take over the works if an enterprise proved viable.

The meeting was also addressed by Mr C. R. Marshall (Labour), the member of Parliament for Wanganui, and Mr K. T. Wetere (Labour), the member for Western Maori.