Meat Nationalisation Would Hit New Zealand

Chronicle (Levin), 2 September 1949, Page 3

Meat Nationalisation Would Hit New Zealand

WELLINGTON, Sept. 1. The posjtion over the fixlng, and in« crease, of shipping freights between New Zealand and Britain, is unsound and nnsatisfactory, declared Mr. J. D. Ormond, deputy chairman of the Meat jfroducers' JBoard, when addressing a meeting of the Electoral College of the Board today. Mr. Ormond was reporting on a recent visit to Britain on beUalf of the Board. "I came to the Meat Board some 15 years ago because l was opposed to the handling of our shipping contracts and gradual monopoly of the' shipping com- ? panieg which was becorhing obvious," -said Mr. Ormond. "We must admit that refrigeration has played a wonderful part in the development of New '# Zealand and one must also admit that the monopoly has grown up through t'orce of circumstances, but- nobody realises more than I do that under today 's arrangements we have no say. This was brought home to me in London. .1 have the right as a business man, to know what is a fair increase in freights and what yardstick . was used to measure it — or wasn't it measured at all? If, for instance, before our season opens, there is a change in the turn round of ships, on what basis can we argue for a decrease in freight? What yardstick do we ub6? The position is unsound and unsati'sf actory. " If the British Government carried ou* its axmoimced intention of nationaliaing the -import and wholesale distribution of meat, everythihg the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board had built by way of grading and quality, would be thrown to the winds, said Mr. Ormond. That would he a. very serioua state of affairs not only for the phroducer but also for the economy of New Zealand. He said it should be clear he was not referring to Government contractg but to the distribution of New ZeTaland meat in the United Kingdom. This he claimed was a specialist's job built up over the century, during which time the British people had had the right to choose for themseives. "We, as a Dominion, prided ourselves ou producing a quality article which our conscience demanded, " said Mr. Ormond, "and what is more, they have paid us a premium for . it. In 1940 we promised Britain we would stiek to our grades and we have done so but if there is to be no more choiee in Britain — and there won't be under nationalisation — we will have been badlv let down."

Old distributing agencies, he continued, were literally idle today and being paid a commission for doing nothing. Their top men who were most valuable to the trade, were drifting to other jobs. There was not a distributing organisation which was not opposed to this undesirable Government scheme and the butchers and housewives were opposed also. He met the New Zealaud and Australian Agents* Association which - was most definite about the great costs and weaknesa inherent in any such scheme. He met the president of the National Federation of Meat Traders and a past presi- « dent of the London Retail Meat Tradea' Association during his recent visit to London and they stated that nationalisation of meat in the United Kingdom woiM3. be greatly detrimental to New Zealand meat in that the incentive to quality production would be lost. He was also satisfied, said Mr. Ormond, that nationalisation would have a great effect on the meat eating habits of the people of the United Kingdom because the consumer would not have any opportunity of selectin and would slowly but surely turn his attention to other foods. "The United Kingdom gets 32 per cent. of her iinported meats from our country," continued Mr. Ormond. "Surely we are entitled to some say as to how it is h'andled. Let us act before it is too late."