SUGAR QUESTION.

Grey River Argus, 18 January 1922, Page 3

SUGAR QUESTION.

CO-OP. SOCIETIES’ CASE. NEED FOR DIRECT SUPPLIES. (Special to “Argus.”) WELLINGTON January 17. In the House this afternoon Mr. Sykes referred to there being a sugar shortage at Masterton. Hon. Mr. Lee replied that some months ago he had warned the public that sugar was plentifully available, and that orders should be placed* That had not been done, the fault being principally with the merchants. Mr. H. E. Holland said that he had brought the sugar shortage at Runanga before the Minister some days ago, and the reply then was the same as now. The Runanga Co-operative Society had replied' that their order was placed as far back as November. The Runanga Co-operative Society’s experiences with merchants, he said, had not been satisfactory, and they wanted to know if the Minister would agree for Co-operative Societies to get their supplies from the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, through the Cooperative Union of wholesale Societies, which was representative of practically all the Co-op. Societies, with its central office in Melbourne. The Minister promised to’ look into the requests. It has since been ascertained that the Farmers’ Co-operative Societies are getting their supplies through their own central organisation.