THE MEAT QUESTION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 5, 6 July 1906, Page 6

THE MEAT QUESTION.

l~' ME. MOORE'S CHARGES. I TO TEX £DITOB. Sir, — Parliament having adjourned for two. months, and the Hon. T. V, Dun-, can having again urged me to lay de-; taila of my. charges before him, I conwlted Mr. FieH, M.H.R., . vho, with me, .waited upon the Minister and Sec _retary for Agriculture this afternoon. I declared all the statements I have made in a general way to be true, giving lengthy circumstantial evidence in each case, but, acting under legal advice, de- ' dined to make specific charges namingpersons implicated unless' in the privil- _" eged capacity of a witness giving evi-' ;-^ence before a 'Royal Commission. Fail-, ing- this,. I offered, in order- to save expense, to act as a commissioner appoint-, ed by the Government to submit cvi- 1 dence and make a privileged report on. the whole matter for> a nominal fee. The Secretary for Agriculture said a 1 report on the whole matter was' not, wanted, but that - the department re-; quired" specific \tritten< statements in or,der to warrant an investigation of my, general* charges concerning veterinary inspection." 'I submitted that the whole matter should be investigated; that I -had- not singled out the veterinary de-, part meat for attack, and was unwilling. "to 'make any aspect of the matter personal unless privileged. Mr. Field said| that I had made out a "prima facie" .edie for a commission, and that -Mr. Duncan should asked the Government to refer the Whole matter, including: the price of meat and alleged combines in "the trade, for investigation by -a Eoyal— Cwtffiiieei&n.- - - — -- Mr. Ritchie objected that this would result in what hfe -called"a" fishing expedition, and the Minister, without expressing Ms'own opinions (if ne has any), replied 'tnat' hfe could not' induce Cabinet to'"agf fee" 'unless my charges when specificaJly made in writing warranted this course. As I am not disposed to do tiiflrthe Minister will have to choose between appointing a commission or allowing his department to rest under the •;tfgly. cfcupjC.'J-.Vre create „H, }ie .is "■"content, with^this position, I 'can' trait ( till Parliament' 'reassembles,' and then Vaslc for" a, Select "Committee to hear" the.3Vbole of my charges. I consider that in offering- to supply, for a nominal fee, .a, foil .report under the privilege of n commission " from the Government I -haver- done- all that I can reasonably be * expected -to- do in order to have the ' sores in the meat trade probed uud cleaned without delay. — lam etc., F. T. MOORE. — Johnson ville,- sth- July- _ , . The following is a copy of a. .letter "that I have this day addressed to the ■ Minister for Agi /culture "in reply to his - request for, specific charges against veterinary, inspection : — •*Dear Sir, — In view of the fact" that -your --departmental .secretary ' (Mr. Ritchie) 'only appears concerned -and interested in UsaA-yartr v of my charges "which refers- to -veterinary inspect ion, I _&> Jbofe'. think ifc.w.orth to hold ,?m . investigation, the scope of which is cosfined to ta£s deparliaent." What I want is an investigation.. tfeit .-will examine every aspect of tke trade, and a tribunal competent' -to review all bearings, from pasture to package, and from package to consumer, " including the financial methods of tho trade. If you cannot agreo--to -Hus^.'l'muflt ' wait -and petition

Parliament to 6et up a Select, Committee as a last resource in my efforts to have the festering sores in the meat trade thoroughly probed and cleaned.— . I have, etc., ' "F. T. MOORE." 6th July, 1906.

At the Lower Hutt yesterday the annual football match between the Health and Labour Departments was played, and resulted in the defeat of the Health team by eleven points to nil. For the Labour team (which was a combination of the Labour and State Fire Departmento) tries were scored by Johnston, Pope, and Thompson, and Isherwood converted one. Both teams were the guests of Dr. Masoti, Chief Health Officer, at bis residence adjoining tho grounds, and were very hospitably entertained at the conclusion of the match. Three games have now been played for the silver cup presented by the departmental heads, two of which have been won by Labour and the third drawn. Mr. L. B. Jordan acted as refereo. Thcr New House sale will ue in fuli twine to-morrow. Mean. James Smith' anil Sons quote special prices in another column. Mr. William Bath elsewhere notifies tho residents of Newtown and suburbs that ho is opening next week in Riddiford-«U?ect (opposite Bry»nton's butchery) with a stock of directly imported glass, China, and earthen ware. . A shipment of tho Ford 1906 built model "F" motor cars has fast been land* ed, and cars aro now on view ai' tho jjaraßO of tho Automobilo Co. of N.Z., Ltd. Uiiis is a two-cylinder 12-14- h.p. roomy five-passenger touring car, especially built for conditions pertaining to New Zealand roads. It is slated that no more of them cars can bo imported prior to 1907, -the. whole of the manufacturer's output for .1806 beinjt booked ahead.