PRICES FOR SHEEP

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 14 May 1928, Page 5

PRICES FOR SHEEP

FARMERS COMPLAIN ABOUT MEAT BOARD. IHY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.! GISBORNE, May 13. Many farmers in Poverty Bay are dissatisfied with the low prices paid by buyers lor stock, and the matter was ventilated at a meeting of the farmers’ Union on Saturday. The chairman, Mr. E. S. Bowen, said that Poverty Bay stock prices were well behind those of other parts of the Dominion. Sheep sent from here made vastly •superior prices in other places, so it was not the quality of the stock that caused the lower price. He shipped away one line he could not get 20s for locally and received 275. In another case he was offered 18s lOd, but sent tlie line to Whakatu and got 24s bd, and, aiter paying all charges, was 2s a head better off. Similar instances were quoted bv other farmers. Mr. J. C. Field said the Meat Board was not any use to the Poverty Bay farmers. It simply looked on and took the easier road. Mr. W. D. Lysnar said he was glad to find peop.e waking up to the true state of affairs. He had slackened off his complaints somewhat in anticipation of the farmers realising the true position. “There is no doubt there is something wrong, and the centre of the wrong is the Meat Board.” Tiie board was simply coquetting with the big man and not worrying about the interests of the small farmers. The hoard should be elected of farmers themselves. Mr. Coates had said he could not do that until the farmers all over the Dominion asked for it. The chairman, in reply to a question, said the Meat Board had no right to fix freezing rates, hut Mr. Lysuart said if they had a board acting in the interests of the farmers it could do a lot by force of public* opinion. Mr. Lysnar suggested that they should go straight to Mr. Coates with the matter. f inally a resolution was passed asking the meat buyers to meet the executive of the Farmers’ Union in conference to discuss meat prices.