NO EXTENSION OF KILLING

Southland Times, Issue 24422, 30 April 1941, Page 4

NO EXTENSION OF KILLING

High Country Farmers Perturbed (P.A.) .DUNEDIN, April 29. The serious hardship imposed on Otago high country farmers bj r the restriction on wethers going into the freezing works this season was thoroughly discussed by a conference held almost a fortnight ago between the Otago provincial council of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, the New Zealand president of the union, Mr W. W. Mulholland, and Mr H. M. Christie, adviser to the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. J. G. Barclay. The conference sent a telegram to the Prime Minister urging the removal of the restriction on this class of stock and undertaking to ensure that only annual high country drafts would be killed. The customary acknowledgment was received, but although additional telegrams were sent in the meantime no further reply was received. until today, when the following message arrived from Mr Barclay: “Sorry, but unable to open works for extended killing at present; The killing returns of sheep in the South Island up to the present are above normal.”

This reply is taken by Farmers’ Union officials and other men interested in the problem to be final and it is believed that even the information collected by Mr Christie on his recent tour of the South Island has not persuaded the Minister of the urgency of the position. - Mr James Begg has been in close touch with the Meat Board during the past fortnight and apparently it, too, has not been able to make any impression on the Minister. In addition Mr Mulholland and the Dominion executive of the Farmers’ Union made representations on behalf of Otago. The outcome of all the negotiations is this telegram from the Minister stating, in effect, that no relief can be granted and the position is now viewed with deep concern by all high country farmers in Otago.