MEAT EXPORT

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

MEAT EXPORT

THE CONTROL BOARD’S FORMATION. (Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 24. Certain statements made at a meeting of the Dominion Executive of the Farmers’ Vnion dealing with the election of the Meat Export Control Board were referred to by the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) to day in the course of an interview. Mr Massey stated that one of tho speakers was reported aa having said: “Instead of being elected by the producers, the board virtually had been nominated by the Government, Tlie appointment of tho board had been a hole-and-corner business, and the farmers in his district had no confidence whatever in a boaiv, so constituted.” Captain Col beck had said that the Government had had a majority on the committee, and had elected whom it liked. Another member said it was a Government board. "These gentlemen,” said Mr Massey, "evidently do not understand the position. At a very largely attended meeting of producers held in Wellington in January a committee of 14 was elected —seven from the North Island and seven from tho South Island. With them the six members of Parliament who had taken part in drafting the original scheme! were tho committee appointed by the regulation under tho Act to elect the first members of the- Control Board. Five members were accordingly elected, leaving two to be appointee) by the Government, and another, who was recommended by tho stock and station agents. The two members appointed by the Government were Mr Davit! Jones and Mr A. E. Harding, tho latter particularly representing the Auckland and Taranaki districts, which up to then' had not been given a representative. The Government took no part in tho election ot the board* 2nd had positively nothing to do with it. "I think Mr W. D. Hunt, the nominee <f tho stock and station agents on the board, is personally interested in farming pursuits, and I am quite certain that all iho other members of the board are farmers. and have the confidence of the farming < onununity. not only in their own district, but right through the dominion whore they arc known. ’lhe Control Board has started well, and I believe it will do really good w ork."