THAT MEAT LICENSE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 37, 12 February 1926, Page 8

THAT MEAT LICENSE

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—lt is to be hoped that the pte* ..ciple involved in the refusal of ths) Government to grant a transfer of thtj slaughtering license from the WelHus* ton Meat Export Company to Bprtfc* wick and Sons will not be obscured by drawing red herrings across the scstd. The Meat Control Board has no statist in-the matter, so far as the license is concerned, and its policy enunciated im February, 1923,- and embodied in tht> report of the year, was stultified whea tho Minister of Agriculture granted tht transfer of the Poverty Bay Farms**' license to Vcstey 'sin October, 1923. .Even as a consultative body, the Meat Board is without status. ;-."

Let us examine the fact*: The W*' lington-Meat Company has bees' It existence for 35' or 36 years. Bortawick's have been in the New Zealand meat trade for about 30 years. Botk parties have carried on their butincnee without let or hindrance, paid their taxes, and observed the lawi of the country. »Suddenly, a Coniervsttt* Farmers' Government applies the vicious "usohold" policy of the Labov ' Party to meat works. The shareholder! of such concerns have merely the om of the works, for they are'not trana» ferrable assets except with the ap« proval of the Minister. , The legal rights of a body of shareholders to deal with their property it taken away, and it seems to me that all the rights aifd privileges for which our forefathers contended have, beea taken away from ns, and it may be that. we may yet have to organise to.recover toese rights. ' . I think, Sir, if you could ice the wheels within wheels revolving in this matter, you would find many, if aot most, of'tho spokes consisted of veated interests. It is not the public interest that is holding up the sale. A community that will romain calm while »uch a flagrant injustice ia being per- . petrated will take any kind of kicking lying down. —I am, etc., , TOEHOLD. 11th February.