FARMERS & THE MEAT TRUST

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1989, 20 February 1914, Page 10

FARMERS & THE MEAT TRUST

A • SOUTHLAND .VIEW. Speaking at the annual meeting of fhe Southland Frozen Meat Company', Sir. Johh M'Queen (managing director) ■said that this hail been, the most unlucky year.;t|i6,coraj}ariy;hacl.had.. Not only di<yjfs ( shqTe jit'iliia' daflijigG caiised, by tho Gore floods, but an accident to; the generator by lightning had caused trouble, i' Freezing' works required a tertain turnover and output before there was a chance of any profit; at all. The amount of profit- depended upon tho number '-of -.sheep /treated ;■ 150,000. had totßej-hahdled, by the company lielore any" surplus-appeared.. .Every .head over or under 'that number sw.elled or took away from-the profits. Tho weight of tho sheep also' affected. the profits. ,I'hero was ; a certain '"rtthount' of loss arising .from, tho, fact that the company had toxstarfe with a r.ew- team' of slaughternien.'ilf the sheep came, in 'spa«mo*dically, : ,a'nd ! 'overtime had to be paid, the !>am<! ! ,resUlßs could not bo ob-; tained.* ,lt-'-was .much more profitable if shcep?ftrnvedfregularly and ho overtime hdd'..te;bstt,'jjaid. Thus the''irregular arnyalS,,pfjislioep at tho works.'also affocted the profits.. . . Tho ; prospects If or the future woro good so far. as thai' price' of produce was concerned. .. More/ markets' were being opened"up;;-"bnt'."tho"trouble- was that'

they could Hot supply the present markets. In the case of a short supply the cost would go up, consumption would go down, and a slump -would result. What was the effect,of the.present high prices?. They were tempting tho farmer to sell tli© gooso that laid tho golden egg. Old shoep, which should'long ago havo gone to the boiling-down wore kept for breeding. The prices were tempting farmers to carry on operation's on insane linos. Farmers, as soon as prices went up, sold their ewes. That was the gloomy outlook from the present company's point of view. Tho farmers were told that thero was some bogey of a great trust,- and if a roan was suspected of being concerned with a trust he was subjected to prejudice. Tha farmers had a great fear of tho Meat Trust; nevertheless they would accept a halfpenny more from a trust or anyone else. A farmer who had a prido in- his flock kept his ewe lambs for breeding. He (tho speaker) maintained that every farmer should keep a certain number of his ewe lambs oach year. Some of the hill pastoral lambs could be improyed and made more productive, yet owing to the class of tenure this was hot done. Encouragement to improve could bo given only bv tho granting of the freehold. Many nmholders were tempted to overstock when their leases were running out, so that tho grass would be set hack, .and the rent reduced when renewal was applied for.