WOOL COMMANDEER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14703, 7 September 1918, Page 4

WOOL COMMANDEER.

At the meeting of the executive of tlie North Canterbury district of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, the president (Mr. D. Jones) spoke at some length with regard to matters which had been discussed at the recent Dominion Conference. He said the Conference had been adversely . criticised because of its vote m connection with the proposed further commandeer of wool, but little was understood of the facts of the case. Tlie Imperial Government, when it cc-m---maudeered our ,wool m 1914 , at considerably below market values, offered to put all the wool not required for army purposes on the open market, and divide the profits, if any, with the producers. This offer was accepted. Two Ministers of the Crown were present, who had charge of the Imperial Supplies Department, but they had no information to give that threw any light on the subject, : ahd w;ere not able to say whether the imperial Government was . carrying out the terms pf the contract or not, but the evidence was fairly conclusive that the manufacturers ahd retailers at Home were farmint? the patriptism of the New Zealand farmers. They had the wool released to them at comparatively low price, and could charge the public any price they . wished. The Union's strong protest had already had an effect, and alterations were taking ■place m the system. "The same system," said Mr. Jones, "is operating m the Dominion. The woollen companies have our wool release- at a fixed price, .but no restriction is placed upon their goods. .Wool for soldiers' > : socks at the beginning of : the war cost 3s 6d to 3s 9d per lb • today an inferior article cost 10s to. 10s 6d per lb. Through lack of shipping, competition is almost gone, and the public is ibeing hit without mercy. If it is. possible to fix the price of .bread* it -cannot be. impossible to fix the price of other manufactured articles. .ancLtbe cost of : bread' m the. home is. trifling as compared^to r clothi.hg. ' The farmer bears the brunt of the criticism and the odium, but the commercial man m many cases pockets. the cash. "The Government have bungled the wool business.. badly. When this executive demanded the representation of producers before any contracts were made, our request was granted, and the Government set up a conference, and called it together when the Imperial Government's offer was made to purchase, our wool and meat. This is the body that should have been consulted before any variation m that contract, or contracts, was agreed to. Instead of this, a short paragraph appeared m thepapers, and various bodies, without any details before, them, passed resolutions for and against, and the result is confusion. If the proper conference had been called, aiid the whole of the facts placed before it, the vote of the\co-n-Y ference would have been , taken* and the matter settled. "Tlie same" thing is taking place m connection with the proposed , extension of the meat contract. A- suggestion ,was made to the Minister m Charge that the meat contract with the Imperial Government be extended to a considerable period after the war; the Minister asked the opinion, not of the producers but of the middlemen, i.e., the meat companies. The Hawera producers met and ai ranged for a deputation to interview the Hon. D.H. Guthrie, who intended, -without any authority, offering the Imperial Government an extension of the contract. VI telegraphed to the Min-^ ister, submitting that the only body which, had authority to act m the matter, was the conference appointed by | the Government, and winch entered into the contract. I do not know what action has been taken,, but the haphazard and unbusinesslike methods adopted give one little confidence m the administration. The conference would probably agree to, the extension of the contract, but there are two vital questions bound up with it, namely, the payment for, the meat and the lifting of a sufficient quantity annually, to enable us to successfully carry on our business. The offer of an extension without any qualifications is a plain intimation to the Imperial authorities . that we are satisfied wifti the system of payment, and that shipping is not causing lis any concern. This must materially weaken the PrimeMinister's appeal that we must have much additional shipping, and shipping is the most important question at the moment."— Weekly Press, 4/9/18.