MEAT BOARD'S ATTITUDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18521, 4 October 1923, Page 8

MEAT BOARD'S ATTITUDE.

NOT GOING TO INTERVENE.

NO REASONABLE OBJECTION.

[sr rztxv.TUiVn.~- PRESS . J msoctaiion.]

, CHRISTCHTJRCH. : Wednesday. ; •-v Mr. David Jones, chairman "of" the New Zealand : Meat Producers' made the following; statement; to-day with' reference to the proposed i purchase of the Poverty Bay Farmers' j Company's freezing j works by Yostoys, Ltd,:— The resolution passed by the board ; in connection with: the extension of overseas meat '. interests 'expressed clearly the mind of the board, and there has been no alteration in our attitude. ■; The statement made by ; the company's chairman -of directors, Mr. W. |D. Lysnar, M.P., ';'sets clearly ','that ;the { directors y were ; prepared to sell months ago to Vesteys, Ltd., if their terms were;" agreed ■■-. to. ;; One •: of the •: points tin dispute , was that ;: their steamer Admiral Cbdrihgton should be included in the purchase. This was riot a; matter of principle, but rather of principal. sV The other stipula-! ton was the right - to ; freeze i their , meat in the works, on certain ■:. terms, but they considered it no sin to sell.- • : . '. '

„ The Meat- Board knew these negotiations ; were taking place, and; made inquiries to see what •■ effect ; the proposed sale, would have on producers in ' that district::. There a are freezing works within 20 miles' {radius of Gisborne competing with one another. Two of them : are farmers' freezing .company ■ ; works. yOf the Poverty Bay, Gisborne shee;pfarmers, and Vestey's works. iTestey!s';/are{, the ■• oldest and they intend rebuilding. 4 > We regret the financial : position of Mr. Lysnar'ss works ; (Poverty Bay), but we have to consider the general policy of this country. If they can :. arrange { their finance, they can, of course, carry oh, but if • they ■, cannot arid are : forced into- ■ liquidation, -the question for the ?; board to consider is, .will the . producers -in Poverty Bay, or elsewhere ; be adversely affected if. Vestey's close and; dismantle their sent works, and, instead -of, rebuilding, purchase the Poverty Bay works? :'x\ The two remaining works, if this happened, could easily t kill arid freeze far more stock than {is v available. Thero would be no monopoly; ■ The ' Gisborne : SheepfajnaersV Company is a farmers' company, whose doors .are open,'to all. It purchases no stock itself and would welcome an; increase in business by exporters'or farmers. ,;;The Meat : Board was unanimously '-. of the opinion" that , ; it could raise rib* reasonable objection \to , Vestey's ; purchasing the Poverty >{ Bay : : works %if {'; they {•■ closed arid dismantled their {other works, some eight miles away.v;To; this they have agreed. If at these works in future, or at any other works in A the Dominion, { anything is done which in 'the ; opinion of the board demands action, the {board .has power; to deal with the matter and V take whatever action is deemed necessary/to protect: producers. ' ■