FREEZING INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26176, 12 June 1946, Page 8

FREEZING INDUSTRY

NEW WORKS FOR SOUTHLAND QUESTION OF CONTROL (Special) INVERCARGILL, June lilt has been decided that an extra freezing works was necessary in Southland, said the president. Mr D. Brown, referring to the position of the freezing industry in his address to the Southland Provincial Conference of Federated Farmers to-day. The only decision to be arrived at now, he said, was whether the new works would be a co-operative concern, controlled and run by the farmers themselves, whether it would be on a 50-50 basis between the existing company and the farmers, or whether it would be recommended that a licence be granted straight out to a proprietary company. Whatever decision was arrived at, it would be according to the opinion of the majority. “As there are three schools of opinion,” Mr Brown said, “ I make an earnest appeal to those who do not agree with the decision that may be made, more especially if it is a decision that requires loyalty from the farmers, that in their own interests and the interests of Southland generally they get right behind it and loyally support it." Mr Brown described the question of the freezing industry as perhaps the most urgent and most debated subject that the meat and wool section and the executive had had to deal with during his term. He emphasised that the executive was sympathetic with those farmers who had been put to considerable expense and inconvenience because of the inability of the works to take all the stock offering as soon as it had been fattened. Mr T. A. Buckingham said he understood that two of the present works in Southland were being extended. He thought they had been assured by the Meat Producers’ Board that there would be no extensions to works until the question of the extra licence was settled.

Mr C. J. Speight, chairman of the meat and wool section, said he had no information on the subject. It was decided that the matter be taken up by the section.