MEAT BOARD CHAIRMAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18762, 16 July 1924, Page 10

MEAT BOARD CHAIRMAN.

CHARGES BY MR. LYSNAR.

THE MINISTER IN REPLY.

[BY TELEGBAPH. —SPECIAL BEPOBTEB.]

/WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The charges levelled against the chairman of the Mea.t Export Control Board, Mr, David Joneß, by Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) were twice referred to in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr. A. J. Murdoch said Mr. Lysnar had told the House either too much or too little. (Hear, hear.) That applied equally to the accusation that Mr. Jones was not acting in the bßst interests of the producers and to the statement that the Admiral Codrin|[ton had been excluded from the board's shipping contract. Both matters should be thoroughly investigated by the Government. (Hear, hear.) It was such statements and the credence given to them by certain producers that were causing dissatisfaction with the Government among its former supporters and the movement for a farmers' party. The Minister for Lands, Hon. A. D. McLeod, who followed, said ho would not touch on the matters between Mir. Lysnar and the Hon. W. Nosworthy, but where Mr. Jones was concerned he should have had aw. opportunity to reply. Mr. Lysnar: He has already had it Mr. McLeod: If the member for Gisborne wants a public inquiry I am sure Mr. Jones would welcome it.

Mr. Lysnar: Let him come back to the country then. Mr. McLeod proceeded to explain the burden that the over-capitalisation of the meat industry laid on the producers. He had expert opinion to show that if the capital cost of meat works went much above a, certain average per freight oarcase going out of the works, then the charges became too high. Mr. Lysnar had said the Poverty Bay shareholders had been sacrificed. His valuation of the company's works—and the speaker would not contradict him— was over £400,000. That meant on the output of the works in recent years a capital charge of over 6s per carcase. That showed the position these works were in, because when capital charges exceeded 2s to 2s 6d per freight carcase they were on dangerous ground. As for Mr. Lysnar's charge against Mr. Jones, the' latter gentleman was well able to defend himself. s .