NEW FREEZING WORKS

Evening Star, Issue 22990, 22 June 1938, Page 3

NEW FREEZING WORKS

THE SOUTHLAND PROJECT SECTIONAL DIFFERENCES fPEB United Press associstion. i INVERCARGILL, June 21. A meeting of farmers in Invercargill occupied all day to-day, and again this evening when the proposal to apply for a licence to establish new freezing works in Southland was To-morrow they will meet members of the Meat Board, when the case for and presumably that against, the granting of an additional licence will be stated. During the past few weeks meetings have been held in various parts of the province and delegates were appointed to attend a meeting at Invercargill at nine o’clock this morning. An hour later the Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union held a special meeting and at 2 o’clock a big meeting convened by the Farmers Union took place. A difference of opinion between two sections was apparent at the afternoon meeting. Members of the executive of the Farmers’ Union had not reached finality on the best remedy to overcome the disadvantage experienced by fat lamb growers, but delegates from the country meetings announced that they had decided definitely to demand a licence for another works. Farmers and the executive refused to adopt this view, and a deadlock was reached. Both sections held separate meetings this evening. ** The Canterbury Freezing Company, which has been described as “95 per cent, a farmers’ concern,” is, it is understood, keenly interested in the question of a new licence for Southland, and along with at least three other companies or syndicates is prepared to erect a new works in the province if the Meat Board decides that another one is necessary. An Otago freezing company, described as a farmers’ concern, as well as a firm at Gore and another at Winton. are also stated to be applicants for any licence that may be issued by the board. Two companies have been operating in Southland for many years—the Southland Frozen Meat Company, Ltd., which owns works at Makarewa and Mataura, and the Ocean Beach Company, Ltd., whose works are near Bluff. At Balclutha. on the border of the province, is the South Otago Company's works.