MEAT CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 727, 28 January 1910, Page 5

MEAT CONFERENCE.

* * . OPENED AT CHRISTCHURCH. PRESENT POSITION STATED. GOVERNMENT WILL ASSIST. (By. TeieEra-Dh—Press Association.) Christchurch, January 27. The.Frozen Meat Conference, called by the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association on' the suggestion of Mr. J. D. Hall, opened at the rooms of the association at 11 o'clock, this morning. Mr. D. D. MacFarlane was' elected chairman. The chairman, in- opening the proceedings, said that, .the large attendance showed that, the Canterbury A. and P. Association were justified in calling the conference. The gentlemen present were keen and eapsr to improve the condition of , the trosren meat trade' if it were possible to do. so, i and' he hoped to be able, at.the conclusion of,the conference, to congratulate thein on the good work effected. , v Brief ■ referenoe was necessary, he continued,' to the oircumstahces under which the conference' was. convened. The trade had, grown from <1,707,3281b. of mutton and: lamb, valued, at sd.' per- lb. (equal to ,£35,000) in 1882,'; to. 269,773,6981b.,. valued at. ;55,624,342.', At the rate at Which meat had been exported 'in ' the lost two -years, a.- drop of Id. per -lb. meant a loss of something like ,£1,000,000 to producers -and shippers. The market reports -for., the -past, twelve years showed that the prices'of-lamb .had.varied;from 4Jd. to .GJd.,: and mutton from- 3}d. to 4jd.,- or- dn average of 53d. ;,for lamb, and. -tid ; for mutton. ' The London whole-' sale prices for . mutton, during the last season'. were:—: • . . - Mutton. Lamb.. . d.- .d. .

Last Year's Losses. .' Owing to".-the:.;drop whichy took" place meat realised' less, : by .nearly -£1,500,000' than would ' have., been the case it , tlie previous', average, prices •; had: ..-.been; ■ maintained. . .. A large proportion' ..of ' the ' loss " was; borne., by . the producers •: in N«jr Zealand, and the balance, by c.i.f. _buyers. It was ..impossible to accurately estimate the proportions .lost by /- each ..of. these, interests, but it, appeared .'safe, to assume that the: farmers .'of: New' Zealand .had. lost over X 1,000,000. ' To; prevent a | recurrence of i such a drop,: it was necessary to ascertain, if possible;. the cause of ".the drop, and then to devise.and adopt such measures as were desirable and practic- • able. It: was • impossible, for: the New Zealand fanner, to' give his persorial-'at-" teritio'n : to t the sale of. his. meat, unless itr were sold/in-the local 'stock .markets,. in which case the ruling prices .were'governed by. the defective conditions, which obtain ■ ' in./the; London - markets, ; and • low priceswere' fixed as the result of those conditions. It .-therefore seemed eminently desirable that the farmer should gather' as much information 1 as -possible for the purpose "of'enabling him to ascertain whether, when ; his,'produce -is offered for sale' and subsequently - dis§osed of, he gets a'"square and honest eal." . . Cause of the' Slump- .- year, ,:in ignorance of the: Eng-. : lish. market.: and. of what'. their '; brother farmers ; were doing,-New- Zealand prb;: ducers consigned their lamb arid mutton for: sale. in "London—s2o,ooo carcasses of lamb . in May -'and 677,000 carcasses in June, a total , of 1,203,000 carcasses,. as against .610,000 carcasses for the same months in the previous year. ! . No special arrangements- were made for. .the.:.stor-. ago■ of. this: enormous increase,-.andi Lori-. .don buyers, being aware : of. theiip'osi-tion,-''found ■' itlian .oxceUent,,'opportunity! to engage every inch of storage, space available; and then' dictate'prices to the unfortunate shipper ' who, had nowhere:, to put his .meat, and naturally no. one to . whom to), Sell it. Consequently' fchipipers were . abs6lutely : : helpless,,,, andy the blaine was. hardly attributable to the as-;' tute London' buyer, but. rather, to the ignorance, of the, New Zealand producer, and to the fact that he had no one-to effectively - protect his interests at the other'end. : ; , If the producer/were to, continue to'act in' ; his individual . .capacity, he was hardly ' to; ;be : pitied.: if - he found " this operation'repeated,' and -again- "found that he is .'deprived of a .fair share of tho amount, which l , isiultimately' paid by' the consumer of the meat. Tho remedy was for; the conference, to discuss.:. They would require' to decide , as'.to' whether,, the assistance • of. a paternal government should-be invoked,, oriwhether-the bless-, •ed . principle, of .; co-operation . and com' bination .-were;' to .be applied. Other matters requiring: consideration were'such points as-rates-' of ...insurance,. shipping freights and: storage, methods of sale (both in the Dominion and in London), advices' to consumers as to prices, amount of meat in London, and in transit, method of discharging from ships in London; and carriage to cold stores. -■ , Other Activities Supplanting. Meat. .From aVsmall beginning: in ,1882 the; industry : was now the second, largest; in the Dominion,, arid, "during.. 1 the period since then, the system of farming "had. 'quite, altered.-:. They had.a better'rotation' of crops, ' and .the fertility, of: the soil was maintained . by the . application of cheap and efficient: manures.- Speaking for Canterbury, he could .safely say that .the farmers' were now. in betterMieart than ever .•-.before; .but, if there was'repetition of - last' year's' prices, 1 the: farmers would have to put their land to other and more profitable uses. .:'.•/ . To the'.larger , profits obtainable , was. due the rapid-increase of 'the dairy: industry,- for : instance. '. During : the ' ten years ending 1908 the exports : of ' dairy produce haa increased from' to J31,011,40D, or_ nearly three and' P. half times the original . amount, 'whilst/the 1 value of -"frozen: meat produce' had. in-', creased, from .£1,501,46S to J£2,910,784, . or almost double the original figure'.-•'Wheat was -also , engaging more attention from aridit was expected', thatthe' export of, this .cereal;this .year would be. a record.", . ■, • " '. '.;;' Although the farmer could thus turn his land, to other .uses,-he '(the chairman), ■woud:be* veryVsorry.'to see: tlie.. freezing, industry displaced: froin its-present high position..;.' Continual -cropping and dairy-' ing .would, in ; time, exhaust the soil, and, without. sheep.. and freezing works, they would . fluid- it difficult' to'. maintain the; fertility of i the,'soil'. The association ; that --he' (the chairrepresented, consisted of. farmers, and'. slice pawners,' and: it-' was ■ only reasonable to conclude that the point from which they-would view the matter would be: from that -of persons, personally;and financially interested in the: result., He did. not.: overlook , the fact, -that the';"representatives '"of-."the." freezing companies were' also- present, - and for their presence as indicating that they . were willing to co-operate, they were grateful. Notwithstanding:. this he thought that tho meeting must be really , considered as one of. farmers;: and ns having been called for the , purpose of ascertaining " whether .soine : combination could" not be arranged • amorigst them, which would enable, them to - dispose, of their produce in future under some more -, businesslike. methods than had- been adopted'in:the past. ' Thß Scargill .Remit. Mr. Geo. Sheat (North Canterbury executive of tho Farmers' Union) then moved the remit'forwarded by the Scargill branch proposing that - a Farmers' Co-operative Distributing Association- be formed to bring the .-"producer ;and consumer into closer touch. • Mr. Shoat said that to prevent a recurrence- of Inst season's glut it- was suggested that the producers should combine, arid that perhaps' cool stores should be provided at this end where meat could, be- kept ■ until it was time' to place', it on the London markets. . - ~ : Mr. Acton Adams seconded the - mo-, tion and: stated. that slnppers really did not know who sold their meat at Home. There was. an idea' of storing meat in New Zealand as suggested, by' Mr. Sheat. At Home there was nothing known as to what meat was coming from Now Zealand and-probably thev did not want to know. Tho Argentine people, • however, knew what etoelu were - going forward, 'and.

filed their prims.- accordingly. voured, the -gradiiigiof \roeat in: th(s : 6ame;r..':,. way, that, butter, and; cheese Vera ,After: ; discussion it-wasdecided to "ro--;,",'; fer the. matter to .a' committee,vof, quiry set up by the conference. : . Prime Minister's Message. .' The following telegram-'was.';receivc4'fAa from ■ the ..Prime 'Minister:—' ■ "1 'that,' public : prevent ..'my. attending'ithe. important! : . conference■■'.being lield in connectioii ; - with, the- frozen'.'.meat'; industry.'" My.!;;, 1 . colleaguei - the;-: .Hon. : T; ! , Mackenzie,■/[:.£W will,; however;) represent; the,, Govern:- ■ ment, and, needless to add, 1 anything'; that, the-Government can do' to/assist . ■ in the 'ou ; the frozen: meat'industry.lof the' Do...minion ;will ;be : most-readily'/doiie. The ..problem- of;:how*t<i obtain- tha . best prices; without ■ undue, fluctuationc ' is an exceedingly difficult- one, and •; can^.- : I- think,..^bß^bnly^helpedyto successful..-issue:-by ' the;' old - law; supply.. and -"demand; : Much, I think.i can bedone by -mutual -S v effort on: the part,of a number;ofinterests .operating. in,, frozen mea-t-New. Zealand, and: I ain of -, opinio® ■that. freedom;- of action", without; G«>v^::;"^3.: ■i: ernment interference: whbre '<$■!% ...it can, be,exercised with the, goMmU';,>ia|i of ;• the "sheep-growers "arid " sheep-sales-'.;"Sgji-j ' ' men .in 'order,. to improve;conditions) ■ is, essential. Whenl was recently.-... : in London" the wliole of the meat' rG-; :. -, -: -, ::. presentatives asked ;me' to.: meet;.tKm-, in ; consequencooh tjieextcaordinarily:;' low, prices' due' -to glut by. over- ;, supply'.': After'/full-'discussion, »: • pressed .my'> willingness,'::on"belialff : .r£J£; of the 'Goverriment^;to:'do'-janytlMg rfi:;^ :-. at this' end ■- that was possible to ... assist'the great.industry in'which'thejisj;; ■"Vcountry .as'a-.whole .is. so. cerned, on to; a, more satisfactorrsr^uid^'vV'^v 3 I ■ favourable /footing.' . Of. course, y the . abnormal:' condition,', of.} extensively • . large ' holdings V inv .England v at.; : ;tha.: Sf'is!: ' time.' cannot ,'be.- given as a reliablo - .-.■ v, '..--'-conditioh; "to :s guide ::.thoSc ; rcbnccrnedy#:p; , 'in preventing a" recurrenceras, . ally, if .there is an over-supply at any.: ; one' time in 'London from .'the various , •:' markets.."of.: the v\™ r ld^,it^can ; be relioved by the gradual": absorption-: ! si'?v| -of Uhp : stock.- '■ I -.'am quite ,-;sure j : the; practical;, men':; c»ue^i»;'aTei.l)o&' : -; sirous. of improving .the' way, and sHould .any sugEestidn Vas • the 'result of; : your meeting,'be made. to the ■ Government ;I,'can ,assure. you " .' : .;.thatith^\ViU-:be..in6st',:carefully':"cdnt'-^i sidered —J G Ward " - V The; following from the Nelson-.branch'' > .of .the ,i Farmers' : referred'/i'to.-'f-v" ,th'e: Committee 1 .Inquiry -Zealand 'Farmen;'.:- Trust, check any foreign combination ;;immical;Src -to the.:farmers' 1 - interests'by'- contrblling ■: a sufficient;;:number' of retail dutlets^'in - the,.-Hdme. r ; a.nd : continental : !markets t;i'S by-New Zealauders, consumers _ .demanding' ! N(!.w:;Zealand , piiiiKif; ducn'a. reliable and-regular-sii'pplyyof'ths-vP , genuine article.:-;'-- 1 ,■ yv;;, </■

. ■ .'-a.- a. . ; February 3|- SJ . March-■ " i...... ■ 31-5 • April . . .311-16 413-16 May 31 -1 June '■ 3i : 3J ' July . 2i 3J , August 21116 3 v September, .'.......'......, ■ 3| ■ 3J . • Octobei l ''v\.'..;.\.../...\v.; 'Ij; ' •: 41 '