DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 17 March 1945, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS

RED CROSS COMMISSIONER P.A. WELLINGTON, March 16 The joint staatement yesterday issued by the Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C., and Sir James Elliott, and Mr. Spears was referred for comment to Mr. B. J. Jacobs, Dominion President of the R.S.A., who said: “The salient point of the statement is an admission that a mistake had been made. The principle that should have governed the appointment, and, by natural corollary, the error committed, has always constituted the sole reason for a protest being made by my Association; which has never at any time pilloried or directed a public attack against Mr. Meachen, regarding whom many complimentary references have been made. My asociation has already passed a resolution supporting the argument of Hon. W. Perry and others that this mistake should not operate to influence the public against continuing their generous subscriptions to patriotic funds, which are for the benefit and comfort of service men and women. They surely have no part in the incident, and the need for money for them remains) unaltered.”

WELLINGTON, March 16. The President of the New Zealand Master Butchers’ Association (Mr W. S. Hughes) in a statement at an executive meeting yesterday urged retail butchers to exercise caution before completing forms recently distributed among them by, the Food Controller. These forms authorised the banks to give receipts on their behalf for payment of the promised meat subsidy, but the rate of subsidy was not stated on the form.

The relation of the subsidy to meat coupons, said Mr Hughes, involved calculation. The Government assessed it as equivalent to Is 3d in the pound of coupons banked, but the Association had compiled figures proving that if the subsidy is to be related to coupons, the amount necessary to place butchers in the same buying position as they were prior to November last, amounted to 2s 6d in the pound coupon value. Negotiations were at present taking place between the Association and the Government as to the correct amount of subsidy in terms of coupons, but it was felt that any butchers who signed forms distributed to them without specifying the amount of subsidy they are prepared to accept, would receive only half of the amount lo which they are justly entitled.