MEAT INDUSTRY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 December 1924, Page 5

MEAT INDUSTRY.

BOARD £> PULICV. INQUIRY WELCOMED. LB* TELEGRAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION. AUUKAxaNB, JL>ec. 6. “Yes, I read wnat Mr. W. U. A,ysnar, M.1 J . ior 'crisborne, had to say, and tne charge he maue against tne board and more particularly against myself,’' said Mr. David'Jones ■ (chairman of the New Zealand Meat Jfrodueers' Board on his return to-day from Britain by the Niagara. “The gist of it was," added Mr. Jones, ‘"'that the .board; and. myself favoured meat trusts, and he asked for my removal from the board. I will make a full answer at the inquiry that is to be made into his charges. Meanwhile. I would point out that at the annual elections of representatives of the producers to elect the board, Mr. Lysnar was nominated as a candidate. I was pleased to see this, because it gave Mr. Lysnar an opportunity of proving that he had the support or otherwise of the sheep farmers of Gisborne and Poverty Bay, who knew the facts. Mr. Lysnar, however, withdrew from the election. r “The representatives of the sheep farmers of the Dominion were elected, and they met in Wellington to hear the annual report of the board and to elect the uew board. If Mr. Lysnar had believed in his own case, he could have made a request to be heard before this meeting. Representatives of his own district were there, and it was essentially an ideal court to hear charges in which all were vitally interested. Mr. Lysnar did not choose to trust his case to his fellow sheep farmers. Instead Mr. Lysnar lias appealed to the Government. He made Oj charge in Parliament and demanded an inquiry, which, f understand, has been agreed to. “My board will welcome the fullest investigation, but its order of reference must be wide enough to cover all the facts, and .as open to the public as the charges made by Mr. Lysnar. No disinterested person would charge the board with favouring trusts. “A resolution setting out the board’s policy in regard to' trusts was passed, not because of any public agitation, but because the board realised the serious position that would arise ll outside interests gained • control of Zealand meat. The resolution will be given effect to if necessary. It is. of course, to be expected that some will c-ome into conflict with the board’s actions,' 31 'and bv bitter attacks endeavour to create a smoke screen under which thev may attempt to escape without observation, but t£e producers will be guided bv the results.”