COMMANDEERED MEAT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3572, 5 October 1916, Page 7

COMMANDEERED MEAT

HIGHER PRICES WANTED

MEETING OF PRODUCERS

CHRISTCHURCH, Octobor 5.. A meeting of farmers,' pastoralists, and others intcrestod in the price of iNe^iv Zealand meat- was 'held in th^ 'Chamber of Commerce yesterday aftor- ! noon to consider the position with rejgard to the question of commandeered meat. , . Mr W. F. Parkinson was in the chair, and there were between 70 and; 80 present. The chairman said it was thought that a thorough discussion of the matter was very desirable, and if the meeting decided to pass the resolution which would be proposed it would very much strengthen "the ' hands of the I committee which had taken the matter in hand. ) ■ - I "'Mr G. D.' Green wood \then, '.moved—.' " That this representative meeting of North Canterbury sheepfarniers, while offering no objection to the commandeering of their moat for the purpose, of feeding the troops, is firmly convinced that its handling.opens;the way to enormous, profits being made by' epecuiators. They feel that) while the sale of'^British and foreign lueao is ;aitrammelled, the New Zealand farmer's j interests are being grossly-; neglected. 1 They therefore recommend, in :my wv, i contract with the Imperial <»< v.-m-i mentj an advance of Id per 1b being paid for all meat commandeered for Imperial purposes, and: the mode of disposal of surplus meat not required for the troops reorganised. Ah Mr Maesey is arriving .in England shortly, they entreat him to use his utmost influence in having this resolution carried iuto._effect." Mr Greenwood said that ho did not think. there was a farmer in New Zealand who would object to having his real war profits taken in toto for the purpose of winning the war, but. the farmers did not think that they were getting a fair deal in the way their surplus meat was being disposed of on the London market. They found out in New Zealand that all their lamb and some of the mutton' was being used, not for the purpose of feedingthe troops, but for tho purpose of keeping the price of meat . down in England. This was not the idea when tho arrangement had been first made. .Thoy did not see why they should assist sDor'ilntors to make money. The advance oi' Id per lb asked for meant an addition of £1,325,000 to tho farmers' revenue, ' and. it wan fo\t that this, if it. rmist be taken, would make a nice contribution if it was applied to the p-irpose of supplying our boys with the necessities and luxuries they required at the present time, and for nrovidino, for their dependents who had boon left l>ehind. The spe:il<er referred -to the communication received recently from tho High Commissioner', on the question of meat prices. It j

was obvious from what, Sir Thomas

Mackenzie said that .the agitation in ■New Zealand had had some good effect. It had'resulted in the abolition

of certain unfair deductions, and he hoped still further concessions would be made. Speaking on the question of foreign meat trusts, Mr Greenwood uttered a warning to the fsinners of the Dominion not to, be. led away hy promises of immediate profits, but to look carefully to the future and support their own men, who were trying to conserve their interests and place produce on the markets untrammelled,. | Mr James Coop seconded the motion. Og Raid the farmers of New Zealand would not mind the British Government getting any possible .profit from New Zealand meat, but apparently; private speculators were getting a I large slice of the profits. The farmers j in New Zenland did not consider this a fair deal ;it sill; and hV hoped the resolution would go through mifinirnonsly, :md h.ivo an ottocA, on the : '■authorities-nt Wbnic. ' ' ■■' \ Mr I), -Jones mnved an nmendmont i that after the words " and the disposal i of the surplus meat not required for ' the troop? reorganised," the following h-. insiM-tr'l • "in pnoli a way that unless th" Imn«rial Government can '■ assure ihn producers of the Dominion that it is in a position to'exorcist; enn-f-'-oI "'' nil imnn'-tod meat, the surplus should hf nlr^ed on the: market in open competition." Some time ngo. Mr .Jones snid. the ;

Farmers' Union had-"tried to get certain itt.fortna.ti on from the..Government with regard to the disposition of meat from New Zealand, and it was only after repeated applications that some kind of explanation was made. Iluekily, owing to the representations of the ■ Farmers' Union, the Minister of Agriculture had promised to allow producers to be represented on any committee which 'would be formed to icarry out reorganisation. ; Mr Greenwood said, with the conisent of the seconder, ho would accept; •the amendment and alter his motion accordingly. > ■ r This was agreed to. Mr T. B. Howson thought that all meat not required by tho Government should be allowed to be consigned to any consignee Die producer/ thought desirable. ' Mr J. Macdonald ■ (Southland) moved an amendment—" That all New Zealand meat should be put on the open market just as the English and Scotch meat is." * Mr J. O'Halloran seconded the .amendment. He pointed out that everything used vi the raising of a fat lamb or a fat sheep had advanced enormously in prico—from 50 to 250 per cent.—and it was high time tiiat the farmers had some relief given to thorn, for the price :they received was stationary. Mr W.'.A. Cox (Invorcargill) paid it was 'the speculative business which . occurred at the other .end which annoyed: the jfarnitTß ont here. We were not even assured ■ that' the civil population, in England had received any 'benefit from the low prices paid by the Government for the meat of the Dominion. Ho thought tho meeting should make some definite proposals as to what should be done with the surplus moat. > y He vpiifi quit** sure the Imperial Government would do its best to provide th« shipping necessary, in view of the great F.'icrifieos the farmers and people generally in New Zealand had made | for the good of the Empire. vMr Goorge Gardner said tho crux of tho whoio position, in^his opinion, was the foreign intervention in tho handling of the Dominion's meat and in the meat trade generally. They had only to look at the names of some of the foreign moat trust magnates to see that they were as German a,s could be. The speaker pointed out that there was little doubt that the enemy wns operating through a good many neutral countries. It was absurd to allow them to get a hold of the world's meat trade. We were fighting the enemy with bayonets and, guns ; and liable to allow thorn to beat us with mutton and lamb. ■■'■■■,'■■

I Mr Devereaux thought the movers of ' the amendments were forgetting the ' important point of the shipping question. 'If they had leave,, to sell their ' surplus meat as they liked, they might soon find themselves in trouble as re- . gai'us ships. j Mr J. Coop thought it would be the j best thing for New Zealand farmers to ' sell all their meat to tho Imperil Government nt a fair prico. If the ■ Government could make a profit, well > itnd good, bufc it should be in the position to deal with the supply of ships. 1 I Mr H. S. Bourn said the question at 1 issue was only the disposal of' the surplus. The Imperial Government )had regulated the profit which the first buyer had made, but forgotten to re- j gujnte the profit made in the second j phase of the transaction. Tho New , Zealandl Government had- mnde a simi- \ lav mistake when it regulated the price of wheat and, forgot to regulate the prico of flour.' I Mr C. H. Ensor said,he thought that •the suggestion of an ndvnnon, of "Id • per 1b " .«hould be deleted from tho motion, lie thought the words should , Ik> "at least Id per lb." Mr Grepnwood .said he would accept 1 that alteration. i Mr Maedonald Raid ho would ask leave to withdraw his amendment. He only moved it to express his opinion ' that any .system, not an open market system, would merely drift into the ! same pernicious Btate as at present, • ■ and the, Imperial Government and ' producers would get swindled some--1 how. 'j The chairman then put Mr Greon--1 wood's amended motion, which was 1 carried unanimously. It was resolved that tho suggestions in the resolution should only take , effect on the completion of the new i agreement with the Imperial Government. Mr Gardner moved, and it was carried —"That this meeting request the Government to appoint representatives of the producers on all. boards and commissions set up tp- fix prices, freights, etc.'"'' ; Mr H. S. Bourn then moved, and it was carried—" That this meeting, representative of the meat industry, sV.iews. with alarm..-, tho past dealings with the New Zealand meat surplus, and Sir T. Mackenzie's explanation, ■■and that the Acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. James Allen, be asked to cable the English Prime Minister for his assurance that stops will bo taken to prevent unreasonable individual , profits in the future." The ■■nioeting then concluded.