OUR COMMANDEERED PRODUCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2720, 15 March 1916, Page 8

OUR COMMANDEERED PRODUCE

INTERESTING QUESTIONS

AND AN OFFICIAL REPLY

CT6 the Editor.) ■ Sir,—id. good deal is sometimes heard as .to the contributions which the dairy ...farmer's/.of New Zealand are making j.; to the s war>funds. I think it only right '■ that the; public should he : apprised-.of • tho true;position. • , . : -At the* beginning of the season .the New.'Zealand Government commandeer- : ed' ono-third of the total'cbeese manu-; - faotured in New 1 - Zealand at" the fixed price, throughout the season, of 7}d. per ,:. lb., Tho. average market price of cheese j; tor th 6 season will be at least from BJd.. ...to, 9d.,,p'er 1b.,, so'that, the farmers are j iach and all contributing, up; to. one ; penny; three farthings per lb. .on their Individual and this 'amount's to !;/).. considerable-sum iiuthe year'... Many • ■ <>f ;ihs larger suppliers will'thus be . ;ontributing from £100; to £250 during : 'he -season, and in many cases even more than that. v Hps-'will, I think, it ■ must be,; admitted, compare, more than £ favourably with the contributions of any p other, section of the business communj;ity,' and : while I am on this subject,' I ■ should'like to ask one or two questions wiiicli ;;I-;hppe, isir, you will'be able: to. ; answer ;j(l) Was there any commandeer).;in'g of .Canadian ,or English.. qlieese; if ; not, why not? (2) Was there a, fixed -. price put on the commandeered:meat, or is the. meat being 'paid for at market • prices?'(3) Was there any- commandeer;>ing pf.wbol?. If not, why;not?—l am, etc., . ■ -

IffIAWATO DAIRY FARMER;

r The "'above letter was. submitted to ! Mr;: R. »Triggs, Assistant Public Ser- •; vice; Commissioner, .who., has .charge ,o{; : the Imperial Supplies Department. With'' ;.respect tib, the price of cheese, tho state-' ,' jnents made, lie said, were correct; that ; is to say, the jpce ha 6 gradually risen : since the price was fixed, but it is fair ;\ to: assume. ■ that: the. commandeering of :• one-third": of the season's output inv J fluencedithe.. price -favourablyinversely, ? if' the loSP.o.o,,tons,had..not, been. .com-. ?: mancleered, the price to-day was hardly likely to be so high. Seeing that the price' i of cheesV.durmg : the' pre-war season ivaa< : in the viamt/;.of.:6Ja.Vpr;'lb.,'..it,wa6:.a. V question:;whether : the difference between •/ the Imjieiiiil-. jrice and fto-jay's' niarliet I'.price could' be-'termed'.'a contribution.. ; No complainls'".had;'been; received as toi the; price the Imperial; Goveniment was pajong chee'se^■ ;. , The Imperial authorities : lK>t,;.-as ?•' far' as he' Knew, commandeered r '.any "of ! the Canadian, output of oheesej' :but 'ng ' tho . early stages of ' the'' war I .quantities had been bought in Canada 'at. ; ; C§d. per" lb., ..but lately it was'-'underr'; / stood they had. been' paying ,market . rates. ■ Mr. Triggs did not know if any English cheese had been commanv deered.v.; - ' ' 1 . Moat Prices. ' ' Regarding question No. 2, Mr. Triggs stated, that the price of meat was'fixid'. at a conference attended by represen- . tatives : 'of-. the Government, -the freezing companies,' the Board .of Agricul- ! ture,- the shipping companies, and the ■ farmers' Union. The. '-prices 'so" fixed are as follows:— ... : Ist quality 721b. and under, ;' 4Jd. } : ".'l.st quality. over''72lb.''''4'id.Y 2nd : qiiality^id.; ewos, Ist'quality'72lb. and ■ under 4<J., Ist quality over' 7.21b.' 33d., i 2nd quality 3£d; lamb, specially prime i and Canterbury quality, ; . 421b. "and • tinder BJd., Ist quality 421b. 'and. under s id., Ist quality 421b. and. oyer' 5Jd;,. 2nd' quality s|d.; beefj ox 4Jd., second and heifer.4sd., boning',(in quar-' , ,ters)./4d'.; beef,' cow, prime 4jd., ;,sec- ; ond ;-4d.i boneless : 5a.; 'mutton, legs ; :sid., .shoulders 4}d., loins 4|d. ; For Seat in freezing chambers prior . to llarcli 1, 1915, an allowance of |d. I'.per'lb.-'was made;.to cover storage 'and; other incidental expenses." " The prices

had. been regarded as eminently eatisfactorv.

, Answering question No. 3,' Mr. Triggs said-'that; wool had not been comman-•'dceted'fv.whjv-'hio was not 111 a position to say.