MEAT FOR EXPORT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2438, 17 April 1915, Page 8

MEAT FOR EXPORT

THE INTER-ISLAND SQUABBLE ARGUMENT FROM FIGURES The Prime Minister yesterday stated the case for the Government in the controversy that' has 1 arisen as to whether the spaco in Home-going steamers for frozen meat is being fairly allocated. Mr. William Murray, of Christchurch, has contended that undue preference is given to -the North Island. But it should be understood that Mr. Murray's statemont was probably intended as a rejoinder to a complaint by a Waikato man a few days ago about the "unfair treatment" meted out to the North Island in regard to the allocation of space. "1 can only say this," said Mr. Massey, "that I think it is a very great pity that the territorial question has been raised. Tho truth is that no fair comparison is possible as between the two islands at this date, because the North Island season, this year at all events, commenced between four and five months earlier than the South Island season. This was in part owing to the drought in Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, and other districts. In the South Island the export season practically does not commence -until after the New Year holidays, so that the comparison that has been attempted is really between a little less than'three months' export in the South Island' and over six months in the North.

"Perhaps it is not generally known that the space in the steamers is allocated by a committee representative of all shipping companies trading to New Zealand. The Imperial Government has requisitioned all the insulated space m ships trading to Australia and New Zealand. I may say that I have had differences with the committee at times, but I believe that'they have done their best to keep the trade going and to do justice all round. All the troubles come back to the question of tonnage. Just at present we could do with more than twice the number of ships that are coming 'to-New Zealand, but apparently no more are obtainable. The Board of Trade has given every inducement possible for ships to come to our coast to load with frozen meat, but so far with only moderate success. However, I have already pointed out that after June 1 [ expect a sufficient number of ships to overtake rapidly the work of clearing our cold stores. The difficulty at present is most seriousin Canterbury and Auckland; and recriminations such as have begun certainly do not tend to improve things. ' 'Since the New Zealand Government has been acting for the Imperial Government in the matter of the purchase of meat we have endeavoured to relieve the pressure where it was most severely felt, and I think even tho Canterbury people wifl admit that we have ■ paid special attention to getting away lambs from that district, and tee payments we have made prove this to have been tho case. The proposed • loading for next month provides for 200,000 freight carcasses from the South Island and 137,000 from' the North. ,"At first'glance the figures quoted in this morning's paper would appear to show that -the South Island had been very unfairly treated. But the answer to the argument from figure's is to take tho corresponding periods in this year and last year, and compare the figures for those years. I have asked'my officers to take .out these figures, not because Tam personally interested, but with the object of showing that nothing unfair hais been done. J?or the nine months from July 1, 1914, to, March 31, 1915, the exports were as follow': — • From the North Island: 2,438,924 freight carcasses. From the South Island: 1,034,478 freight carcasses. This is in favour of the. North Island by 1,404,446 carcasses. Now, for the corresponding period. of the previous season the exports for the two islands were:—. v ....'• North Island: 2,245,019 carcasses. South 151and626,803 carcasses. A difference in favour of the North Island of 1,618,216 . carcasses. The proper comparison to make.is not between the two Islands this season, but between, the figures for last season, and this season for the South Island, and this comparison, would show that this season the export from the South Island has been 407,675 carcasses better than last year. That is to say that up till March 31 of this year the allocation of spaco had allowed the South Island to export 407,675 carcasses- more than it exported last season. "