SHEEPOWNERS AND ARMOURS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 270, 9 August 1920, Page 5

SHEEPOWNERS AND ARMOURS

Slr .—ln ycsterdny'6 issue of your paper Mr. Acland says that I was wrong in' raying that the North Island 6heep owners had not been consulted in the matter of granting on export license to Armour and Co. If Mr. Acland wjll read' what I said again he will see that I said ■ nothing about them not having been.' but I did ray that no voto was cast in favour of the proposal from' the North Island. As n matter of fact' only two North Island representatives : attended tho conference, both of whom' were from tho Wellington province, and! both were, against the proposal. We had no opportunity of discussing", the proposal with sheep ownorsv.-beforo; the conference took place, as no order; paper was posted to us, and no notice/ of such un important and far-Teachingi subject was given. When the question, was discussed I was absent from the' room, and the other representative did not express his views fully, as Sir Walter Buchanan had already put thef North Island sheep breeders' views fully before tho conference, expressing hiff' Strong disapproval of their proposed oc- 1 tion in asking that the license should! be granted. Sir Walter was one.of a do' pumtion from the A. and P. Conference which nsked the Sheep Owners' Confer*; ence and tho Farmers' Union Confer-, enco to act in conjunction with .. thei Board of Agriculture in endeavouring to' open up new markets foi> our meat, but; that proposition was not favoured by', them because they believed the Ameri-. can market would prove sufficient.. it\ Armours woro granted a license.

At the expense of a little more spaeo. I would make it clear that? tho Farmers', Union and the North Island delegate* to tho Sheep Owners' Conference recognise the value of the American market, if independent channels are used, but. strongly oppose opening the door to Armours or any other American combine. As the law stands it is open to any independent American fum to apply for an export license which would ddifbtless be granted if the Minister wo.ro satisfied that it had ncthing to do' with tho American Meat Trust.-I am. CtC " G. 1.. MARSHALL. Wellington, August R, 1020.