FORAGE FOR TROOPSHIPS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 75, 25 September 1914, Page 2

FORAGE FOR TROOPSHIPS

The following letter on the subject of, farmers' chaff has been sent by Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, manager of the New Zea* land Fanners' Co-operative Distributing Compahy, to Major-Genera! Sir Ale» andev Godley, Officer Commanding the Expeditionary Force :— "ln , conjunction with Mr. Bruce, of the Agricultural Department, I have personally inspected and passed for trucking all forage that went on the four vessels, and have no hesitation in stating that the quality is first-class. A regrettable incident oc* curred yesterday morning, which may have the effect of placing us in an en* tirely false position. We wouH not worry you with a matter of this kind, at a time when you are probably overwhelmed with work, wri'fe it not for the fact that we are anxious that you shouM not leave New Zealand under a wrong impression as to the class of fodder the ships are carrying. The incident referred to is that at an early hour (about 5 or 6 a.m. on Wednesday 1 ) some of the troopers managed to gain access to No. 3 Harbour Board shed, in which was stored the rejected line of chaff, etc., which had been sold by auction the day previous. A fairly large quantity (so far as I can understand, a&out 100 Backs) was taken by some of them as the mom' ing ration of the horses. Of course, this chaff was absolutely unfit for such a purpose, and doubtless complaitrts have been made by those in charge. To make matters worse, this chaff would be in the feeding-lines yesterday at a time when visitors were on board. The impression would naturally be gathered that the balance of the fodder on the ships was of a similar quality. We do not wish to make this in any form of a complaint whatever, but rather to clear away any misapprehension which may arise as to the quality of the forage on boavd, and also for the sake 'of own own reputation."