MEAT BOARD PILLARIED.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 December 1929, Page 7

MEAT BOARD PILLARIED.

TARANAKI FARMERS COULD DO WITHOUT MR. DICKIE AS INVESTIGATOR. HAWEBA, Last Night. ' ‘ The Meat Export Board is simply an octopus feeding upon tin', farmers sum collects a lot of money but docs little imyoud a small amount of advertioir.g. ’ ’ This statement was made by Mr. C. D. Dickie, chairman of the Paten Freezing Company, Ltd. and member of (ho South Taranaki provincial executive of the Fanners'’ Union, when speaking at a meeting of the latter bodv to-day.

The meeting had been requested by the Dominion executive of the union to forward its views upon a remit that the Government should be asked to draw up legislation during tin* recess governing the export and marketing of wool along lines similar to the legis lation of the Now Zealand Meat Producers and Dairy Producers Boards. Mr. Dickie could not see what such a board could achieve and considered that the Meat Board merely meant waste of money.

"The hoard is run by a few Canterbury sheopfarmers and the Canterbury A and P. Association.” he added, “rnd has an office in Wellington,

which servos little purpose beyond thft issue of few statistics that are valueless to producers here but which n'.ight possibly be of some interest to . Homo buyers. The board is not la touch with the meat producers’ interests as is the dairy board with dairy -

farmers’ matters and its constitution seems only a good opportunity for :t few to draw big salaries and fees out of the £35,000 it receives in levies.”

Mr. Dickie said the Meat Board had purchased a site for cool stores in a useless position on the wrong side of the Thames, an amount of £30,000 having been squandered upon it. There was an expensive office at Home, which sent over a few cables containing information that could be obtained from the blackboards at Smith field markets on any Friday. He had made a study of the board’s activities during his recent trip Home and had based his comments upon observations of its activities.

“The board does not work in with the Dairy Board in.,the matter of advertising Now Zealand products but It it did. a big amount could be saved annua’ly. ’ ’ He moved a resolution to the effect that the executive was opposed to the setting up of the board, as there were now too many such boards in existence.

The motion was carried unanimously.