BEEF TRUST ACTIVE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1525, 22 August 1912, Page 6

BEEF TRUST ACTIVE.

LOOKING TO NEW ZEALAND. OPERATIONS BEING WATCHED. Tho activities of an American meat firm in Queensland havo excited some concern in Xew Zealand, and in the Ilou«o of licprcsentalivcs yesterday oltcrnoon tho attention, of tho Government was directed to tho methods followed by tho American firms in scouring control of meat supplies. A question on the subject was asked by Mr. i'oiinjf (Wai lea lo), who suggested a co-operation against Mich exploitation among tho Australian. Slate ami Federal Governments and the Xcv Zealand Government. The reply given by the -Minister for Agriculture on yesterday's supplementary order paper .stated that tho Xcw Zealand Government was aware that nn American firm had purchasud land ne.ir Brisbane for the purpose of establishing meat works there, but tho connection between, this and the operations of tho American Heat Trust was at present' merely a matter of inference. The position was being carefully watched, and any development likely to prejudice the interests of Now Zealand will ];o promptly dealt with. -Mr. Young said that the- connection between tho Urisbane meat works and the American Beef Trust was more than an inference. Agents acting for Swift and Co., one of tho most powerful members ol tiro Jieef Trust, had acquired 2!M afcres on the Brisbane River, and freezing works were being erected there at a cost oi .£350,(100. Tho American representative frankly admitted that the works were to bo run by KngJisli and American capitalists. Mr. Young described tho alarm that tins enterprise had created in Australia, wlicro tho moat exporters feared that they would bo subjected to Iho method by which tho trust had engineered its campaign in tho Argentine. Tho Commonwealth had taken steps to protect itself against such nn invasion by its Anti-Trust-Act, and he urged that the Government should take action in tho matter. Mr. J. G. Anderson (Mataura) said that tho iNew Zealnnd meat trade was sufficiently important to-attract tbe attention of tho Beef Trust sooner or later. Hβ had been informed by a v Southland meat exporter that tho Beef Trust was ninkiii* preliminary inquiries in the North Island. Mr. W. C. Buchanan (Wairarapa) said ho hoped tho Prime Minister would realise the importance of making a stitch in.time in regard to the trouble menacing this colony. Ho had three times visited the United States, and ho had noticed tho damages inflicted on producers by the operations of tho trusts. The first step the Government should take wouid be to make inquiries in America,' where Fcttlers had become only 100 familiar with their operations. If was well known that agents of the trusts had gone nil over Aew Zealand and Australia some years ago making inquiries. There could be no doubt at all that tho trust had established itself in Queensland already. Iho Minister for Agriculture (the Hoii. \\. F. Masse?) replied that there was no doubt tho operations of tho American Beef lrust must bo watched. Hβ was strongly of opinion that so long as New Zealand owned ita railways and tlio meat works were in tho hands of the farmers there was very-little, danger of the trust extending its operations to New Zealand. If it did attempt to do so, while tho present- Government was in power, it would not bo a very good thing for tho American .Beof Trust. Mr. Buchanan -. Watch tho shipping •11 1 3r , n - , , s °y : Every possible precaution will be taken.