SALE OF STOCK

Waikato Independent, Volume XL, Issue 3762, 25 September 1940, Page 2

SALE OF STOCK

RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED CASE CITED BY MR F. W. DOIDGE, M.P. During the course of a mass meeting of farmers at Matamata to consider the problem of increased production, a good many farmers complained that departmental restrictions represented a very considerable obstacle in the way of production. Mr F. W. Doidge, M.P., in the course of the evening replied to many questions bearing on the matter of such restrictions, and said that there had been one recent glaring case. "Just before I left Wellingtaon at the end of the session," said Mr Doidge, "a farmer in Southland telephoned through to Wellington, and this was his story." **\ am 60 years of age," said the Southland farmer, "my daughter is married and my son in hospital with rheumatic fever. Without assistance I was unable to carry on and therefore decided to sell my herd. I communicated with a firm of auctioneers who accordingly advertised the herd for sale. No sooner had the advertisement appeared when a Government official went to the auctioneer." "By whose authority did you advertise this herd for sale?" he questioned. The auctioneer replied, "Why the owner's, of course!" "That is not enough," said the official, "you have to obtain a Government permit before you can sell anybody's dairy herd." "With several of my colleagues still in Wellington I went to see the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Lee Martin," continued Mr Doidge, "and to our surprise the Minister declared that the Government official had acted quite rightly. An Order in Council had just heen issued which said it made it impossible for any owner who supplied a cheese factory to dispose of his dairy cows without a Government permit." carried the matter to the War Cabinet," added Mr Doidge, "and this morning after telephoning to Wellington to find out the position, I am glad to be able to tell you that I have been informed that the Order in Council will not continue to operate, but I am bound to add that it has not been annulled."