BOBBY CALF INDUSTRY

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 18 September 1934, Page 6

BOBBY CALF INDUSTRY

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY WANTED RESOLUTION. A Government subsidy equal to the loss on the boby calf industry in favoured by the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union. Ihe question occupied the attention of members- for some time at a- meeting the executive, and, after considerable discussion, the following resolution was passed: ‘ ‘That, owing to the difficult position pf the dairy industry, this executive asks the Government to subsidise the dairy-farmer® to the extent of the ultimate loss sustained by them on account of the embargo on the export of bobby calves, and that the Meat Board be asked for its support to this proposal.” Mr L. J. H. Thomas thought they were quite right in asking that the difference in cost be made up. He could see no reason why farmers should be cut out of the profit of this

trad© .after having .built it up. Mr J. H. Bremner thought they t should couple th© boneless beef with l bobby calves when discussing the question. To put it in common parlance, i© said he believed the dairy-farmers had been “sold a pup.” That pup had ‘ proved a noxious animal, so far as t New Zealand was concerned. There had been no restriction placed Gn meat from other Dominions and he failed to see why New Zealand should be singled out. He had been informed tha-fc a considerable proportion of the bobby calves exported from the Dominion went to Central Europe where the meat was regarded as a delicacy. Mr Bremner thought they should press for the removal of the embargo as early as possible. The opinion that bobby veal was 'being held in storage was voiced by Mr A. E. Campbell, who held that the Government or the Meat Board should be urged not to lift the embargo until dairy-farmers were given an -understanding that they would be reimbursed when bobby veal was shipped, otherwise be felt they would be making a direci gift to the meat trusts.