EMPIRE TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1689, 4 March 1913, Page 6

EMPIRE TRADE.

THE ROYAL COMMISSION. FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY. INTERESTING'POINTS. : : SCARCITY OF FARM LABOUR. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ■ Christchurch, March 3. The Doniinions Itoyal Commission reeurned this, morning.

Mr!' J. A'. frostick, whoso evidence in chief was given on Saturday, made some additions to the statements then given by him. The additional matter was chiefly in ■tho naturo of statistics dealing with tlio boot trade. Witness answered a number ■of questions' Mked by Mr. Oarnett regarding wages and conditions. Mr. . , iil§b gave 1 eyi'derice respecting freights between England and tlio Dominion, and stated that in somo instances it was iound cheaper'to send goods to Hamburg Irom London and have.-tliem transhipped, -"-o did.not see how things could .be remedied, as'anV'Steps taken might mean stoppage of the. lower 'rates, vile had heard, he informed 'Mr. Garnott, that the lower rates charged by the English ship-owners from Hamburg were for the purpose ot pi'avcutiug 1 tlio establishment of a direct German lino of steamers between Hamburg arid New Zealand. " He. did not think that ono Item of freight was a great factor in diverting trade. ;

Frozen Meat. William Murray'" (general manager of th& unristcnurch Meat Company) read a lengthy memorandum on various points ot. interest in connection with tne frozenmeat trade. -After reviewing generally the •conditions'under which the trade is conducted in tho Dominion, Mr. Murray 'stated that 'the Dominion was; over-sup : . plied .with facilities to deal with the existing export trade. The existing storage capacity was sufficient to. cope with H.UUO.OOU carcasses, and there was no-need lor i any- .increase. The grading of frozen mtttt was'; satisfactory, and the industry was particularly well served witn shipping facilities. As to tho question ot regulat-' iug shipments, Mr. Murray said that it u as not fair, to-compare Novr Zealand conditiohs with those existing in the Argentine. In New Zealand the chief produce was lamb, which was, a seasonal trade, and consijniption', was: mainly seasonal. He did not favour, the establishment at.Homo. ; of retail' shops, as they would require to, deal with mutton and beef, and es New Zealand did 'not export any large quantity of 'betf it would bo necessary to purchase beef, and so enter into a phase ot trade in which\tho New Zealand exporterwas not directly interested. Witness did not hold out much hopo of a reduction of a multitude of marks, in view of tree trade conditions .existing in tho Dominion m connection with ■ tho export ot ' frozen meat.''.' ' ~ Keplyiiig to Sir Eider Haggard, Mr. .■.Murray expressed the opinion that the recognition, of certificates of. New Zealand "meat inspectors by the Governments ot the different countries in which it .is distributed, would properly safeguard-'.tho ultimate consumer, from' experience and from the results ' obtained by the company's chemist at Islington,; frozen moat, properly kept in cool Store,' did not lose its ../wholesome qualities,though it. lost its attractiveness fioin a commercial point of view. , ' ' . Sir Eider Haggard; The general result of your memorandum is that everything .is' as well as,,it can be in respect ef New Zealand's export meat'trade? • . Mr;'Miirray:'l'would.not'.like to 'commit myself bo such a sweeping statement. Many criticisms' are" levelled at the conduct of tlie New Zealand trade which aro nuulo without reasonable knowledge of the'true facts. : That, 1 iii' fact, all is well I am'not prepared to say. , '. Sir I cannot -find ?ny suggestion in your, memorandum that there is anything wrong?- /' / ' • Absolutely Open Trade. Mr. Murray: X have no doubt that are many weaknesses in the trade, but it" is successfully conducted. It is an absolutely l;pen' trade,' and the' producer has the benefit of-every possible means of disposing'of his'meat to what ho considers tho v best advantage. We hitvo representatives of- London distributing houses, and we have speculators,'and the farmer can ship his own meat in lots as .small'.as. 30, 40, 50,. or ,'6O 'carcasses, and have it ,'handled as lie thinks best in London. AVhether that is the best way to conduct the trade' is .open to question, but 'the fact remains that thero is an absolute freedom in the conduct of the trade which doesn't; exist •in , any . ether country.. I have no particular, recommendation to • make.

Replying to Mr. Lorrimer, Mr. Murray said that the .opening 'of Continental European markets to frozen iileat, whether from Australia, ■ tho Argentine, or from New Zealand', was . tho . most important development of the'industry to be looked forward to.

Toi Sir Alfred Bateman: Mr. Mnrray stated that ,tho recognition by foreign Governments of the certificates of tlis New. Zealand inspectors of meat might lead to the establishment of an international college of veterinary science. He admitted that the demand for recognition of the' Dominion's inspectors' certificates, if granted, would niako it impossible for the Government of Great Britain, for instance, to Tefuso to accept the certificate of inspectors of stock of foreign countries.

Scarcity of Labour. Mr. C. H. jEnsor and Mr. David Jones appeared on' behalf of tho Canterbury > Sheepowners' Association. Mr. Elisor yead a lengthy statement dcnling with a number of points affecting, pastoralists' and farmers. Ho emphasised the fact that the principal factors hindering the priinary industries of tho Dominion were •the'scarcity and incompetence of labour, nnd greater, taxation on money invested in primary production in comparison with • similar sums invested in othel - industries. He advocated tho erection of farpi- - workers' homes, remission of graduated land tax in cases where landowners proviso homes for married' farm workers, and ■ differential taxation of land according to whether it is used, for .production, or is held for speculative purposes. Idle lands to be taxed heavier than those 'productively used. He .referred : to the .hindrance to agricultural and pastoral operations , owing to the unrest amongst transport workers, slaughtermen, and shearers. He nut: in replies from a number of sheepowners respecting • the/shortage of farm labourers and''of'.domestics. - - JJeplving to-questions, Mr. Elisor .said that fanners',, preferred. farm -labourers from Home' to: be between tho'ages of 16 and 20. Canterbury farmers would pi e- . for suitable'.:rui;!il labuiix-. fro™: the;. English country. districts io bays from the' cities. Ho was of-opinion that Lnglishjnen and Scotsmen made the best country workers. Mr. Ensor was oxamincd at some length by Sir Rider Haigard, to whom ho stated that tlio official ij&me .'of tlio tax that witness referred to as tho "penal tax"

was the graduated land tax. With wages as high as 455. per week and keep, it was impossible to. get-sufficient farm labour, end the scarcity of labour was hindering production. They wanted more workers on producing areas rather than on the distributing areas. Tho tendency was increasing to take lnnd out of tillage and put it into grass labour. Tho unrest was not so apparent amongst farm labdnrers ns it'was amongst those who had other facilities for forming unions. The farm worker was not so highly organised as tho town worker, but their organisation wns bound to oome. Sir Eider Haggard: Then tho ngricul- >• tural prosperity of tho country is at tho mercy of a strike? Mr. Ensor: To a very largo extent. Mr. David Jones gave some additional facts from tho point of.view of tho small farmer. The shortage of farm labour, ho explained, was duo to tho large number of workers who had become; ;farmers' on '■ their own account.. The gaD .in tho ranks, of workers had not been filled np. ' Sir TCidcr Haggard: Mr. Jones stated that after discussion of matters with the farmers, he thought New Zealand would bo importing wheat: from the present onward. Wheat, was going to be cultivated ' lew «nd .less in the present labour crisis, nm' he hiid no doubt tlmt it would.come

to the importation of the wheat necessary. T Replying to tho chairman, Mr. Jones said that it was possible for a farm worker to savo ,£SOO by the tiino ho reached tlio ago .of 25. , , . ' Mr. G. K. Whiting (general secretary of tho New Zealand I'edcrated Boot trade (Jnion of Workers) gave details regarding tlio intermittent character of the work m tlio trade, and quoted reports branches of tho federation throughout the Dominion ias to present conditions ot trade. Ho quoted figures to show that since 1900 there was a decrease of 517 persons employed in the boot trade. During the period two generations of apprentices woro trained, l)ut had not been absorbed by the industry. Ho estimated that at present thero were 1000 bootmakers in Now Zealand who wero following some cither occupation. Replying to questions, ho stated that somo bootmakers who had enmo from Englnnd had never worked at their trade iii tho Dominion, having arrived at a time, when trade was slack. , The busiest time in' tho trado was the months of October,' Novomber, and December. From 50 to 73 per cont. of the bootmakers who wero working at other tteules ,would rathev work : at their own trade if they could get constant or nearly constant employment. Mr. P. H. Labatt (secretary of the Canterbury Shipowners' Union) read a statement dealing with the question of immigration, and submitted suggestions for a scheme providing for the selection of suitable workers for immigration facilities, and for co-operation between farmers and others needing labour' and tho High Commissioner's Office and Labour Department. , Miss E. M. Orbell confirmed the statements made by Mr. Labatt. Sir. G. H. Blaclcwell (chairman of directors of tlio ICaiopoi Woollen Company) gave evidence regarding tho _ scarcity of labour, and stated that the skilled workers wanted were chiefly machinists. Mr. E. A. Belcher, (headmaster of Christ's College) submitted a statement dealing witli the exchange of English and New-Zealand masters. Tho chairman of the Commission said the subiect was a little outside the scope of the Commission, but he was much interested in the proposal, and wished it success.