A CHALLENGE AND A REPLY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3586, 11 March 1914, Page 4

A CHALLENGE AND A REPLY.

HANDLING OF N.Z. MEAT.

CABLE TO AIR LYSNAR REFUTES MR ESTILL'S STATEAI ENTS. ■it the meeting held in Gisborne early in February last at which Mr J. H. list ill, representing the Port of London Authority, delated with Air AV. D. Lysnar on the subject of 'he controversy concerning the facilities for New Zealand I>roduco at London aml the West of England ports. Mr Fstill made a statement that Now Aeoland meat was j> o val Victoria docks by elevators and endless conveyors that earned Hie meat under cover direct to the 'arts and railway vans. Air Lysnar challenged this Statement, and said it «s not so, and that the conveyors merely conveyed the meat to a sorting base in the vicinity of t!m ship, and tbe rneat was tb< ,i eonveyed by band trucks to tbo railway vans or carts. Mr Estill challenged Air Lysnar to cable to the New Zealand High Commissioner on the question and .lr Lunar accepted tin* challenge. and straightaway cabled to Mon Air Mackenzie as follows on February 0, the day after the meeting was held in Gisborne : “Statements being circulated that ! N' W Zealand nr at discharged Royal Victoria Dock endless com eye is, I which carry meat under eov< r direct I to cart and railway. Is; this truer’ I Cable.— AY. D. Lysnar (signed). i Mr Lvsiiar has just received under • date March 1. the following h-tUr j from the Prime Alinister (Air A. - I* • I Alassey.) : , j ‘-'pho following cablegram has been ! received from the High Commissioner ! for New Zealand, dated London, K brnarv G: —- * ■'Please inform AV. Lysnar. Gis- | borne there has been no alteration ! New Zealand meat, Victoria Docks, Gnce ill's visit, but Port of London Authority have commenced work on sorting sheds, bv which frozen meat will be dealt with under coyer.

< j j-coret that owing to my a 1 --m-e I from Wellington this information was ret transmitted to you ea'Jier. ’ '; ’ •■The High Commissioner's <-aoie : clearly shows.” said Air Lvsnar to a ■ ••Times” reporter, “'that I statement is not correct and tftat ■ the i alterations which he stated had ’-arx-n i place since mv visit have not m iac* ' taken place. 'They have only eomi menced work on the 1 which, when completed _ will as Alt ! Mackenzie .says, deal tilth the c.-a-urider cover. To-dav it i.- not dealt with under cover, and Air E-U 1= trying to mislead the producers into believing that our frozen produce is handled under cover at the London docks, when it is not. It is handJ trucked in the open to the carts and j railway vans and also to barges, pii cept iii Hie case of some oi_ the rug I dealers who enjoy the privilege m j having their special barge pla- eo j alongside the boat, but these are ranI ties, for the great bulk oi jke im - ~ ; discharged on to the wharf and t.uere 1 sorted, under a primitive tarpauun i cover. I <f Tliis." concluded Mr .Lysnar. ' j but one glaring example of the me-: - i ods and tactics which are so frequen*- ! ]y adopted for the purpose of beiitUmg ! our growing cause, and I exceedingly j regret that' a repersentative of the | Port of London, who is specially sent j this Dominion, on abnission to exple:n ; the facilities at London, should so de - liberately mis-state the actual iae".~