THE WOOL QUESTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18513, 25 March 1922, Page 13

THE WOOL QUESTION

MR MASSEY REPLIES TO MR POLSON. WHY INFORMATION IS WITHHELD. (P«* United Pbwjs Association.) WELLINGTON, March 24. Approached to-day in regard to Mr W. J. Poison’s statement at a meeting of the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union yesterday regarding certain information connected with arrangements with the Imperial Government to purchase New Zealand w 00l during the war period, Air Massey stated: ‘‘So far as this information is concerned. I do not think many people realise that the information asked f. r covers in its present state nearly 200 pages of closely typo-written matter. This lias all had to bo gone through carefully, and revised in the first place oy the head of the Imperial Supplies Department, and afterwards by myself. We have cut out probably 100 pages of extraneous matter, not having any particular bearing on the points at issue, and have now got the information into shape. I completed my part ot the work only to-day. and have not, made i:p my mind as to whether it should be printed in pamphlet form or laid on the table of the House as a parliamentary paper next, session. In the meantime, any responsible man can see it, but it would Be x erv difficult for tlie newspapers take (i synopsis of it, ns much of the informa--ioh consists jf telegrams passing between New Zealand and London, and a good deal is tevhnical information, which will, perhaps, not he easily understood, except by those who have had experience in handling ■wool. However, there it is, and the public are welcome to it. There is nothing to conceal or keep back. Any delay has been caused owing to my not being able to deal with the matter owing to the sitting of Parliament, and the fact that since then Mr T. R. Lees, Controller of the Imperial t tovernment Supplies Department, has had to bo absent from Wellington for a period of three weeks, and I myself have been a wav from tlie scat of Government recently for some time on public business.” Replying to a question as to the resumption of trade with Germany, and with reference Air Poison’s recent statement in this connection, the Prime Minister s:alcd that apparently the president of the New- Zealand Farmers’ Union did not know i hat there was no restriction on the export of goods from New- Zealand to .Germany. “As a matter of fact,” said Mr Massey, ‘■considerable quantities of New Zealand wool have been purchased at the recent wool sales in this country for German manufacturers. In the case of importations from Germany, permits have been issued since the conclusion of peace for such commodities as potash salts, scientific instruments, and books, parts of machines imported from Germany before the war, and certain dyes and dairying machinery which could not be obtained from British or Allied countries. An embargo on the importation of German goods into New Zealand is at present under consideration of < 'abinot, but there are very serious difficul- • ies in the way on account of depreciated currency in Germany. To allow German goods to come into this country at present with the state of the currency in that country would be an exceedingly serious matter for many secondary industries in the dominion.” “When I expressed the opinion in the south last week,” said Mr Massey, “that the interests of woolgrowors have not been properly looked after. I was referring to what, took place in England in accumulating huge quantities of Austalian and New Zealand wool, and holding on to it, when I am informed on good authority that file whole, or nearly the whole, could have been parted with at a satisfactory price. What I said was not intended to convey any reflection on anyone acting in the interests of New Zealand.”