CORRESPONDENCE THE CHAPMAN SACK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 20966, 19 February 1938, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE

THE CHAPMAN SACK

To the Editor of " The Timaru Herald ” Sir,—Please permit me to answer the wild and wholly erroneous statements regarding potato sack weights made by Messrs Trotter, Campbell and Black of the Fairlie Farmers' Union appearing in your issue of the 14th Inst. I take the liberty to speak on behalf of the Willowbridge potato growers, that as an industry we were certainly not responsible for the mooting of the Chapman sack idea. This, to the best of my knowledge, emanated from the transport and waterside workers and the Standards Institute. Potato growers have on four different occasions throughout the last few years reduced the size and weight of their sacks from 48 inches to 46 inches, then to 44 inches and now many growers use 42 inch sacks. All sacks have had good lugs on them and for years have not exceeded 1801bs weight. This weight was agreed upon in conference with waterside workers' representatives and the Farmers’ Union and, at all times since, growers and waterside workers have worked together harmoniously in the matter of weight. I advise my Farmers’ Union colleagues in Fairlie to weigh .well the fact in future before making misleading and ill-informed comments. Mr Trotter is a member of the South Canterbury Executive of the Farmers' Union and should know better than make such remarks, as he doubtless has heard the growers' side of the matter at executive meetings on many occasions.—l am. etc., W. J. FLETCHER. "Hope Fields,” Willowbridge.