BREAD AND MEAT

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18236, 21 November 1924, Page 9

BREAD AND MEAT

REGULATION.

COST TO CONSUMER. ENQUIRY IN BRITAIN. BOTAL COMMISSION TO BE SET UP. h. CABLE- PBBSS ASSOCIATIOU— COPTBIQHT) AND K.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, November 19. He "Daily Telegraph" says the so jt important subject to be consider(jgt to-day's Cabinet meeting was the jppointment of a Boyal Commission ..enquire into the cost of foodstuffs. "'Although it has often been sugIflted that a Eoyal Commission is ,jljr a means of securing delay, this jjjl not happen on the present occajfoa," states the "Telegraph." "The terms of reforenco will provide f or a comprehensive enquiry into tho tdits of production, transport charges jil middlemen's profits. Tho Commissi will be instructed to report, at the earliest possible moment, upon bread nfl-meat.

: ' M iThe Commission will be sure to iieliide men who had large experience in the Ministry of Food. Though it is most unlikely that a scheme similar 'to that of wartime control will be reinstltnted, something may be done to tedneo the cost of distribution." It .is expected that the namc3 of the Cjmmissioners will be announced in a few days.

"UNREASONABLE." MYSTERY OF MEAT PRICES. WHOLESALE, 4d; RETAIL, 1/4. (ttfSTBALUX AND K.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, November 19. .Practically all tho newspapers are fcawing attention to the rise in retail meat prices, which arc doscribed in tarious terms, tho least of which is the jpitbet "unreasonable." Tha "Morning Post" publishes an article on "The Mystery of Meat Profits," and says "an examination of lis highly complicated position of the mat trade suggests a state of things flat, may be thought nothing less than ittazing." Tho "Post" points out that beef is »Ia in tho Dominions under 3d a pound, lid at Smithfield for a penny more. It lis been retailed at as much as 16d a «ind. The retail profits often range fto 150 and 200 per cent. No n<;l? i«i;c explanation of those, huge profits to; thus far been forthcoming, but thoy ire being mado at tho expense of tho ijiisumcr.

! Tiie paper points out that a Governttlotf Committee in 1909 found that American firms of packers co-operated in regard to prices, and deliveries on fa, British market. This was denied, tat-, the charge was repeated to a similar Committee in 1920. To-day, howw'tt, the American Trust is faced by a lingii) British combine, namely, the Usion Cold' Storage Company, Ltd., rtieh, by a process of acquiring shares iMfher companies, exercises control tfSooth American, Australian, and New felUnd freezing works, together with W6leSaJe selling establishments, and 800 retail shops. '*A largo number of other meat unfcrtafcings," the paper states, "such as Jfeddels and Nelson Bros., is allied with tt&Union Cold Storage Company, Ltd., Wing fow British importers outside fa Mheme. Consequently the import tafo jaay be said to bo in the hands of Wabbles such as the American Meat ft*jm while local distribution is largeby a British, combine. It ■a* a,Government enquiry to deterge whether the existence of Buch a .'Pine has any relation to the high J&esof meat to-day."

G&WING WORLD DEMAND. NO RELIEF TILL HERDS ARE INCREASED. •**?*lUir iHD s.z. CAM* ASSOC! AMOK.) tfoaiTed November 20th, 10.10 p.m.) '[■* LONDON, November 20. #-Eumund Vestey, Bart., a dirco,?*'<<'the Union Cold Storage Co., | hi a statement to the "Morning jf*' regarding that paper's articlo ?J*<lßrday , s issue, says: "Not only * Wit also all other retailers of imwelcome the Government W. Union Cold Storage Com- , '» ltd. ia doing its best to keep cost of meat, and is always ?%*& the face of the globe in order J**w meat at a reasonable price." *P emphasises that the advance in ??* of cattle in the Argentine had j** tote 100 per cent, during tho past **apntiis t and points out that whero*»stod formerly was the only buy- . * frcafeu am j cn illed meat, the war Germany, France, Beland Italy, who now are JjtS imtaense quantities, creating which are beyond the tibia or any other Government Jk-Btyerial change will be possible S,«k price paid for cattle in the upl markets makes it an attractive 4§KM<* cattle growers to increase |PJ?*U The talk about unreasonMTOfita in the retail imported was absurd. MrQ for a reason for the material lljFJ 8 ia the retail price on wholeiMs> Sir Edmund Vestey told the ||sjj?!*tive to go and buy a carcase j|F*b fi *ld, then cut it up and dis-|g*-ft| and he would discover for prices at which he could St.*"-

A GOVERNMENT SCHEME. ESTIMATING DEMAND AHEAD. (AUSTRALIA!! AND N.Z. CABLE A3epci£Tlo».) (Received November 20th, 10.10 p.m.) LONDON, November 20. Tho "Morning Post" understands that the Government has before it a scheme for providing for an estimate of the Kome consumption for sis months ahead. The amount, of Homegrown meat available would be discovered, and tho Dominions permitted to supply tho deficiency under license, the balance, if any, to be provided from foreign sources, also under license. Tho Echeme would permit the Government to extend reciprocal treatment to the Dominions without in anyway increasing the cost of living here, or involving the imposition of a tariff on tho same-'commodity imported from foreign sources.

It would 'ensure Dominion meatgrowors a fair price and prompt returns, and be an important step towards making the Empire independent. The scheme was submitted to MiThomas (then Secretary of State for the Colonies), but no decision had been arrived at regarding it when the Labour Government left office.

DEFICIENCY IN IMPORT. SHORTAGE OF 1200 TONS LAST WEEK. 'AUSTRALIAN AKD K.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Eeceivcd November 20th, 10.10 p.m.) LONDON, November 20. The "Daily Telegraph" comments editorially that the ordinary consumer will bo tempted to regard the quick advance in the price,of meat during the past few days as a clear case of profiteering. Yet the increase is directly attributable to a deficiency which last week amounted to 781 tons in the case of mutton and lamb imported from Australia and New Zealand,, and 438 tons of beef from South America, as compared with tho corresponding week of 1923, while the only offset was an increase of 19 tons in home-raised meat.

Tho "Morning Post" says that one result of the internationalisation of commerce is that the competition of countries outside the Empire, by its mere weight and mass, presses heavily upon the Dominions, restricting accese to the British market, and in practice fixing prices.

THE COMPANY'S OPINION. AUSTRALIAN AND K.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, November 19. The "Daily Chronicle" interviewed tho Hon. Samuel Vcstey, managing director of tho Union Cold Storage Company, Ltd., who expressed the opinion that tho increased prices of moat were due to tho increased demand for frozen meat on the Continent. Other Smithfield importers emphasise tho growing use of meat in the Near and Par East, and it is thought that if India forsook rice in favour of meat, prices would soon bo at a height hard to contemplate.

[The Hon, Samuel Vestey,- eldest sou of the first Lord Vestey (created 1922) is managing director of the Union Cold Storage Company, Ltd. His father and his uncle, Sir Edmund Vestey, Bart., are also directors of the company.]

COLD STORE EMPLOYEES ON STRIKE. (ITJSIZLUIX AND H-Z. CABLB AfIiOCUHO*.) (Received November 20th, 8.45 p.m.) ' LONDON, November 20. The ''Daily Chronicle" states that as the result of a dispute at Nelsons' cold storage works, the employees of many London cold storage companies came out on strike at midnight. A member of tho Transport Union stated that tho strike was duo to a ticket steward of the union not being allowed to sign on when tho night shift started.