ANOTHER ROUND

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 253, 9 July 1926, Page 9

ANOTHER ROUND

MEMBER FOR GISBORNE AND THE MEAT BOARD CHAIRMAN SALE OF POVERTY BAY WORKS MORE ABOUT A LOST JOURNAL Another round in the encounter that has been going on between the member for Gisborne (Air. W. B. Lysnar) and tho chairman of the Meat Board (Milt. Jones), who is also the member for Ellesmere, was fought in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon when the member for Gisborne asked and received permission to reply to what he alleged had been a serious nnsrepreilia nart of Mr. Jones in the course of his speech on the A.d-dress-in-Reply. The matter had been allowed to stand over until the member for Ellesmere was in his place, and yesterday, both members being present, Mr. Lvsnar returned to the attack. He took a considerable time to reply to the statements of the chairman of the board, and quoted copiously from the report and the evidence of the Commission that inquired into the sale of the Poverty Bay Meat Works to Vestey Brothers. He was followed by Mr. D. Jones, whose reply was, however, brief. At the outset the member for Gisborne said ho wished to make a personal explanation on tho subject, and also a further statement, but Mr. Speaker iuled that he must coniine himselt to collecting the alleged misrepresentation, and that no debatable matter could be lU ln d the ed iourse of further reference a remark by the member for Gisborne brought to his feet the Prime Minister who mentioned that, the member had mentioned I hat morning that he wished to make a personal explanation, and h » reply had been that whatever the standing orders allowed he, Mr. Coates, would bo quite prepared to agree to, but ho was sorry he could not assent, to any time being taken up by the introduction of new matter at that stage. He was prepared to suggest that on some future occasion tho lion, member should have an opportunity to make a iuithir statement provided the House weie agreeable There were several important papers to come down that afternoon, some of which members might wish to J Mr? 6 Jones (Ellesmere) claimed the right of reply to any remarks the member for Gisborne might make, and Mr. Sneaker ruled that the member tor 1,1&re would have that right provided the explanation.dea’t with the al eged misrepresents tion, and no con troversial matte ms brought in. Speaking with th, indulgence of tin House, the membei for Gisborne thei dealt with what h< termed specific in dances of misrepre sentation on th, part of the chair man of the Meat Board, and announc- . ed his intention of going fully >nh’ other phases of the subject m the Budget debate. Re claimed that there had been no justification tor the suggestion of the member tor Ellesmere that he had offered the Poverty Bay meat works to Armour Brothers. . , , , Mr. Jones: 1 never said that Mr. Lysnar said he was glad to have that assurance. The member for Ellesmere had, however, stated that he Air. Lvsnar) was prepared to sell to Vestovs’ and the meat trust, and he would deal with that charge. The reported offer to Armours had been cleared np by the Commission. Pealing with the sale to Vestey Brothers, the member emoted from the correspondence in the commission’s renort to show that fur from the statement that he had endeavoured to eel' to Vesteys or anv meat tru c t being correct, it was not on'y uniustified but the contrary was the cas». Later on the onestinn of the re-n'-rtod loss on the operations of the meat works in oneMion was referred ro, and Mr. Lysnar affirmed that the

member for Ellesmere had in that connection apparently used some statement placed before I he commission by a settler in the district, and which he (Mr. Lvsnar) had completely refuted in crossexamination. The fact was, that, the eommissinu in its findings had entirely ignored the witness in question. Inu member held ttiat tne statement of accounts p’aced before the commission by the directors of the company eould not be gainsaid, and that for the year 1921 there had been a profit of ..£53.000. Referring to the transactions in connection with the company’s steamer, the Admiral Codrington. the member for GisIwirne maintained that the vessel showed a profit of ffi2o.ooo a trip on the rafts then ruling. He went <”> to deal with tlie charge that the Poverty Bay rann ers’ Meat Company was in a hopelessly insolvent condition due to mismanagement, and said it was totally • Mr. Sneaker again reminded the member that he was introducing controverhlMr'nLvsnar stated that what the Meat Board had done in al’owing Vesteys to operate in Poverty Bay had not reduced the cost of freezing. Further neferences to the Admiral Codrington, and the suggestion that a producers ship- • /board should be established were a so” ruled out bv Mr. Speaker and ft member for Gisborne announced that he had a number of othoi poinfri he had been misrepresented on, but he would 'leal with them later as he had been barred bv the ruling. He expressed his regret that he hnd had to trouble the TToiise with the matter. Mr. -Tones said Im had been misrepresented bv the member tor Gisborne. Vr Lvsnar: In what warMr. .Tones: The statements alleged by the member for Gisborne to have been made bv me were not made bv me. hocnn.se in the whole <>!' my address I quoted onlv the findin-.-s of I'm’ commission. and nothing else. 1 bo commission reported adversely to the member for Gisborne, notwithstanding the Mrenoos efforts of counsel tor Hie T’ov ertv Bnv Mont Company. At lbw stage Mr. Lrsnar rose to a

point of order, alleging unfairness in the statement, of the chairman of the Meat Board, and Mr. Speaker intimae.td that the member for Ellesmere was showing that certain statements alleged by the member for Gisborne to have been made ’ey Mr. .Tones had been taken from the commission’s report. ■ Mr. Lysnar: Which 1 admit but that is not absolute proof. Mr. Jones: The member for Gisborne admits now that he knew I was quoting from the rqport, and that the commission’s statement is not controverted ~ Mr Lvsnar: Not the evidence. Mr. Jones: I have not quoted any evidence. T want to make it perfectly clear that in my remarks I am following strictly the findings of the commission, and it is there that we find this statement that the company was m a hopelessly insolvent condition. At this stage there was some crossfiring between (he two members, and the Speaker again called for order. Continuing. Mr. Jones said that it was upon tho findings of the commission that he rested his case. He would not go through Mr. Lysnar s assertions seriatim, because it would only he a waste of time, but he refuted the statement of the member for Gisborne that the evidence of one of the principal witnesses had becj disregarded bv the commission, because he ouno that it had devoted no less than one and a half pages in its report to the evidence of that witness. Regarding thAdmiral Codrington. the finding had been that in addition tn lb- ’oss o

capital, the vessel hud shown a loss on the working expenses. Mr. Ly-uar; That is not justified. Mr. Jones: But in connection with the Admiral Codringlop we were at a disadvantage. A certain journal which showed the working expenses of that vessel could net bo traced, and in sworn evidence it was proved that it was put into the hands of the member for Uis borne, and it has never been seen since. We were handicapped in connection with the Admiral Codrington, because of the loss of that important journal. Mr. Lysnar: There was the ledger. Mr. Jones said the ledger in question was produced, but it showed a loss or into the hands Of the member for Gisborne knew —ami the evic.cnee proved it —that when he came to the Meat Board about the vessel, the bank hnd absolutely declined to find another penny for it. Mr. Lysnar: Nothing of the sort. Mr. Jones said the whole matter was in the evidence. Mr. Lysnar rose again, and asked what reference he had made that justified this wild statement on the pait of Mr. Jones. He had purposely refrained from dealing fully with the subject in deference to the Chair. Mr. Speaker said it was a mutter of mutual forbearance, and while a great deal of latitude was allowed he would ask the member tor Ellesmere to keep as strictly as possible to the point, and not refer to subjects where he han not been misrepresented. Mr. .Tones was quite satisfied that the evidence, and the findings of the commission, would show that the vessel had been ran at a loss. The bank managers statement showed conclusively the nctual state of the vessel’s account. Ito preferred to leave the matter at tlrn point, and not wcarv the House by gmn--into further details. Ho had stated on a previous occasion that he wonld express no opinion pn the subject, but would take the finf’ngs qf the onniin--.-sion and nothing else, M’b.nl bo son still stood- there were the commission findings.