MEAT EXPORT BOARD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18466, 3 August 1934, Page 7

MEAT EXPORT BOARD

PERSONNEL CRITICISED “NO COW-YARD FLAVOR” BEEF QUOTA PROBLEM (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. 2V brief opportunity was given to Mr. H. G. Dickie (Coal., Ratea) in the House to discuss the constitution of the Meat Export- Board, as lie had put two questions on the order paper, which the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes, had answered. Mr. Dickie raised a smile by declaring that the personnel of the board was such that not- one- member had much of the flavor of the cow-vard. There were four members from the South Island. None of them were much interested in the export of veal. In the Ottawa year the Meat Board's figures showed that only two animals were killed for export in the South Island. Mr. W. J. Poison (Coal., Stratford): Two members per cow. No objection could be made to the Government nominees, continued Mr. Dickie,.and lie considered that the chairman, in particular, provided very able representation, but in the whole of Taranaki they could not get even one representative on the electoral college, let alone a member ori the board, though their exports of pork were considerable. He was pleased to find that the'Prime Minister had promised an opportunity of considering this matter. It was probably premature to .discuss restrictions on meat export, and the excess over the Ottawa, year production, the speaker added, but lie noted a tremendous discrepancy between the Meat Board’s figures, ancl those from other sources. The 51 eat- Board stated that beef production in the Ottawa year was 28,944 tons, but Weddell s figures stated 18,850 tons. Ho wondered on what basis the quotas were being estimated. In the year 1923-24, New Zealand’s beef production was in the vicinity of 350,000 quarters. During the Ottawa year it had dropped to 180,000 quarters. We had reached the lowest point in 1929. Since then we had. climbed back to normal, so that a quota, if based on the (Ottawa year, was considerably less than the normal production.