MEAT CONTROL.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16728, 10 January 1920, Page 4

MEAT CONTROL.

OPPOSITE VIEWS. INCREASING EXPOBT CAPACITY OF NEW ZEALAND. (FEOM orp. OWN C'ORKr.>rONI>ENT.) I.ONDON. November 20. The British Incorporated Society of Moat Importers has issued a statement j jn answer t.. certain points p'it forward in his speech nt i-«iughi>oroiigh by M~ (". A. MeC'ifdy. Parliamentary Secretary ;*> the Mini.-irv o; Food. on tlio .scriou.'J hhoruge <'• the world's meat supply. Partly on the ground that "he overiws and home >upj»iits are short, Mr McCurdy is understood to have pleaded for ilw Cf.iit.inuar.rc '>1 control. 'Iho British Incorporated S<v iotv say,'.: — "The failed States supply can t'-o ruled o :t now. -,vh"ther ii.- present production i.- diminishing i> artificially :Ti:;inl. '.'i:h"Ui affe: i the >iiuation in K.vept lor pig meat, the l".*vA. expert simply drK-.- not count. Mr McCurdy that "other countries' from which we u>ed to draw our meat supplies 'have been *o devastated that, they may not be abl«» to supply their own wants' as regards nieut". Which countries arc these? Australia. New Zealand. Argentina!" Thero worn i:<> others on which Lurop'J relied hoiorc the war. and tho export, rapacity or then countries has actually increased during the war. llis statement on this point has no meaning for the expert meal trader. He is on sat® ground "when he advocates tho growing of moro iond ;ii home. The Govcrnl niont is already providing a huge *übeidy out or its his prolit*. on imnorted moat in order to encourage tho British farmer. Ilenee the high. prieo of imported meat* to-duv. But tho method i> a co>t!y one. and ontirelv eppojed to economic considerations. His plea for iho maintenance ol control on account, ol a shortage in supplies i.- untenable." As to Mr M<Cindy's .statement- that the Continental demand promises to he prodigious, the iSxiety maintains that tiio 10,000,000-tun estimate of European meat consumption put hy the Parliamentary Secretary is immaterial to tlio argument, about a world-shortage. "The vital question is--What quantity (loos the Continent require to import in competition with tho United Kingdom? His ligiiro of i.'00,000 tons 'before the war' can hai'OMio reference to heel" and mutton, oecause 20.000 tons was the maximnm annual import- prior to He estimates Europe's requirements at ri,OO{>,o(X) tons after tho war! It is a fiintast.ie figure, and certainly tho world could not furnish that quantity of -meat. If it were a correct estimate our state would indeed he perilous. . . . Mr MeCurdy docs quallfi v his alarming forecast a.s to the needs of Continental countries by his 'if tliey eau par for it.' There is much virtue in 'if ; but- it is merely theatrical to raise .such a scare on purely hvnuthotical grounds.'' AN" APATHETIC GOVERNMENT. Concerning Mr AlcCurdy's remark about, tho Amoricuu Meat Trust being "ready to exploit tho position,'' the Bntisa J ncorporatcd Society ol Moat importers hays: "But this is nothing now. Tho successive Governments of this country hnvo known of tins menace for ten years pust-. Before the war they ignored it. During the jyar they have, through ignoranco or apathy, dono ;v vory great dual to foster and strengthen tho American Group's hold on tho British market, and havo dono nothing to assist or maintain British interests in this country. Thoy aro still apathetic, although noarly every Minister of the Crown has nt ono timo or other, and with more or less emphasis, declared that, 'something must ho dont; to check this menace.' Food control has not> dono so. but has operated against British trade interests, and in favour of foreign . . . Government supervision of prices and distribution may bo desirable for a time; but Government. control such as was more or Joss necessary during tho war is not now called for in the public interest." Mr McCurdy still adheres to his points that largo classos of peoplo aro now eating meat who did not do so before tho war: that tho United States demand on external supplies is exported to reach 100,000 toils, and that to meet tlio minimum Continental demand I*oo.ooo tons, thcro is not a surplus ton of meat in tno world if tho normaUeonsuinption requirements of the United Kingdom and tlio United (States havo to bo mot. Ho repeats that the complete removal of control restrictions would invilve a substantial risk at no distant, dnto of enhanced prices for meat in all the markets of the world. As the opinion is held in some quarters that meat prices could he further reduced, tho Ministry of l'"ood points out that during tho six months ended September HOth meat was actually sold nt. a loss. Thero was a general demand in tho spring for tho sale of stocks at the cost not of acquisition, but of replacement, and it was thought that if thi3 plan were adopted prices ivould fall. Australian muttou and New Zealand larnbj which aro now arriving in considerable quantities, aro beng sold to tho wholesale tratlo at a. fractional loss. Tho pric<>s paid for this meat in H*i-t* IDominions. it is slated, bv no means represent tno total cost to" the Government-. Apart from transport and distribution enarges, storage incurred while waiting for tonnage to become available for the transport of the moat entailed a cotwideablo expenditure. It is now admitted that this country, in Ml probability, will not bo affected by the "impending world shortage of meat" beforo the end of IDOO, but it is fttibmitted that the bene£t of the encouragement given to home producers of meat will be apparent onough after ♦Jiat date. HEAVY AKRIVALS. Messrs Gilbert Anderson and Co. write that the meat position hero is causing much anxiety to the trade, the arrivals being too heavy for the available storage, and discharge of steamers is held up in consequence. Owing chiefly to tiio rationing order, and the prosecution <>f butchers for serving unregistered customers, tho demand, has fallen at a time when, with Homecrown meat plentiful, and imported meat": due to arrive in quantities, the consumption should hart* been encouraged. The whole retail trade is dissatisfied with the present conditions, and pressure is now being brought on the Ministry for free distribution. Betailers and consumers should have freedom of purchase, and be allowed to buy according to requirements, both as to quantitv and description. The British Incorporated Srfcictr of Meat Importers has written to the Food Controller submitting the view of its members that the time has now come for the removal of control over the imported meat trade, and urginc that the first stepc in decontrol should be:—ili The return to the system in force before fontrol was instituted of selling meat l'rrely through agent.*: fi!) tho withdrawal of the regulation compelling I consumers to register with a particular [ retailer: i3> the removal of all restric- ; tions as to quantities purchased or the J public.

i What is thought to be the fir»t roi presentation ol an aeroplane in the ; stained glass of a church window is to j be seen Ln the church in Spanish place, | at which King Altouso attended Mads ion a 11*6111 visit to London. The j i hurch. is little known to Londoners in 1 spit« of its architectural beauties. The , Spuiush style of the Lady Chapel and j other features are suggc»tivo of such I cathedrals as Toledo and Burgos. A j new window has lately been placed in i the church in honour of St. Michael. "i he pit iron saint of airmen," in whicii 'au aeroplane depicted.