Farmers Take Exception To Telescoping Carcases

Chronicle (Levin), 8 June 1949, Page 6

Farmers Take Exception To Telescoping Carcases

''The Government is crying out for inereased production and yet we are told that we must continue telescoping carcases because it is unable to handle tull carcases. What ehanee have we got, then, of getting away any increase in production if any is madei I think we shouid make the strongest protest against continuing the practiee o^v telescoping. " Thus eommented Mr T. M. N. Ryder (chairman) at a meeting of the Meat and Wool section of Federated harmers held in Palmerston North yesterday when the meeting was eonsidering advice that the British Ministry of Food had made a formal request for the continuation of telescoping carcases exported to her under eontraet because New Zealand was not prepared to give an assuranee that if the practiee were discontinued, there would (be no delay m the shipment of carcases. The matter originated through the receipt of a copy of a letter sent by' the Meat and Wool Seetion Council to the Minister of Agriculture asking if in view of the fact that other competitors on the United Kingdom market would be sending their meat in the full carcase as from the beginning of nex, season, New Zealand were €o adhere to the practiee of telescoping. The letter pointed out that. there were several disadvantages if New Zealand meat wer.i to appear ou the United Kingdom market in telescoped carcases when other eountries were not. YYliiie the matter ,vas not of great importanee at the present time it was obvious that sooner or later when t're European position hau improved New Zealand would face • ' stiff opposition. ' ' In reply to this letter, the council rc ceived advice from the Minister of Ma: • iceting that under the terms of the eontraet with the United Kingdom the decision as to whether^or not telescoping oe discontinued rested with the Minis crv of Food which had indicated that the shipment of long carcases could be resumed provided an assuranee were g: v-eh that this would not result in any lelay in shipment of meat to the Unit ed Kingdom. The matter had been dismssed at a meeting of representatives of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, the Overseas Shipowners Allot ment Committee, the Waterfront Com tnission, the Railways and other inter osted Government departments when the concensus of opinion was that no such assuranee could be given. Accordingly, the klinistry had formaily rcquested that the practiee be continued. The British Government had met its liability by offering extra ships for carrying long carcases, said Mr Ryder, but the New Zealand Government had tailed ' to meet its liability in seeiug 'that there was no delay in shipment. Mr J. Linklater: Why shouid there be a delay? Mr Ryder: Because they cannot handle it this end. Mr. Linklater; Who can't? The watersiders ? Mr Ryder: No, the Government. A voice: The wajprsiders are the Government. .. . „ Mr Linklater Atat'ea that New Zealand had established a reputation in the British meat market and shouid >i.i everything to maintain it. What was the trouble? — Only that the watersiders'might not be able to handle the long carcases as ciuickly as they shouid. B.uc surely they Could get over that difficulty- ' ' We have maintained our high quality in telescoped carcases but they d" not look as well on the market as second rate full carcases such as Britain was reeeiving from otlier eountries," eommented the chairman. In reply to a facetious remark made by one member that he was surprised that they did not offer to load the carcases themselves, Mr Ryder stated that there might not be any difficulty in arranging for that if the need arose. On the motion of Mr W. J. Gallo vvay, the meeting unanimously passed a motion objecting to the continuation Oi telescoping.