WEATHER FORECAST.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XV, Issue 126, 4 May 1925, Page 6

WEATHER FORECAST.

The Dominion Meteorologist telegrapha ar. foilown for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day:—The indications are tor southerly moderate to r.trong winds. The weather will probably prove cold and showery. The night will probably l>e verv cold. Barometer rising. MEAT WORKS INQUIRY. TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. VESTEY’S AND THE FARMERS. Cisborne, Alay 4. The Aloat Works Commission resumed its sitting this morning, when further evidence was called by Air. Lysnar. Alexander Watson Muir, buyer for some years for Vestey’s, deposed that during 1921 ho was instructed that if the owners wished to freeze on their own account they would have to do so under a consolidated rate, and the meat went tn Vesty’s in England for retail sale. Ho understood that Vesty’s clients could now freeze on owners’ account through any mercantile firm. J. G. McCullough, shoopfarmer, of Whakatane, chairman of directors of the East Coast Freezing Company deposed that Vestey’s sent the bulk of their stock purchases in the Whakatano district to Westfield, 150 miles away. The only time they sent it to the Farmers’ works was when it was sold on that express condition. During the past twelve months 12,000 head of cattle and 60,000 sheep had been moved bv rail from tho district, the bulk of them by Vestey’s, whoso operations were detrimental to the farmers’ company, which was only carrying on with great difficulty. The farmers could not resist the temptation to take the higher price offered by Vestey’s. It was essential that something he done to protect the farmer from himself, otherwise the whole stock business ot the country would pass into the hands of proprietary concerns. Cecil Albert Delatour, for 21 years chairman of directors of the Gisborne Sheepfarmers’ Company, stated that from his experience he viewed with tho gravest apprehension the strengthening of Vestey’s in the district. Tho chairman said that ho was not going to accept general evidence regarding trusts, and in the absence of counsel for the other side the Commission was going to watch their interests cairofully. Mr. Delatour said that ho desired to speak as to the effect on the farmers of tho district of the consent of the Meat Board to the sale of the works by the mortgagee. By the acquisition of the Waipaoa works Vestey’s had so greatly increased their strength that co-operative companies could not possibly stand up to the opposition. The district had great possibilities for future development, and while two works, by increasing their capacity, could cope with the work, there were other aspects to be considered. Questioned regarding his experience of the Aleat Board, Mr. Delatour said that he did not believe the Board could successfully have undertaken the marketing of meat at Home. Francis Stafford sheopfarmers, gave evidence to a similar effect. Charles Nelson Foster, stock buyer for Vestey’s, deposed that he bought on exactly the same basis here as anywhere else in New Zealand. There was no compulsion to ship through the firm.