"LITTLE FRICTION."

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2821, 12 July 1916, Page 4

"LITTLE FRICTION."

SHIPMENT OF MILITARY MEAT ONE THING UNFAIR it yesterday's sitting: of the Conference of the Council of Agriculture the following report by the Board of Agriculture, on the subjeot of (-hipping, was read:— "The shipping; question received much consideration, and some of the members of the Agricultural Board were presort at the conference which took place in connection with the purchase of meat by Hie Ijrili.ili Government, when tho lvliolo of our output was bought. There has been wonderfully little friction' in connection with this purchase, ami 0110 of the great points which led up to the sale was that, if the British Government bought the meat, tliey would take every care lo supply ships to carry it. Had it been in private hands, these same vessels might have been commandeered for the purpose of carrying troops. There is no doubt, liowevor, that had it been possible to have tho wholfe of our meat taken as usual to tho London market, ■tho price to the producer would have been somewhat enhanced, but the board is not aware of any complaint oii account of .this, the producers evidently realising that tho British Government has been, tho gainer. The question of payment when the producer has sold mutton direct to the Government has sometimes been unduly dolayod, but that'does not seem so much the case -during the past year as in the previous one. One point, however, does iseem somewhat • unfair, and that is that three months after the war is completed any meat which happens to have been sold arid not shipped is returnod to the owner, who has to take all risk in connection with its sale. It would bo muoh more equitable if, when peace is declared, Iho wholo of the meat which is then in store 'shetflH be at the risk of the British Government. If' it has been any length of time 1 in store it may havo lost its bloom. 1 Prices will fall very materially, and although the owner lias had no control over the meat after it has' been placed in the store, lie will then have to take the whole of the risk of the sale, This, as has been suggested, could be remedied by the British' Government retaining as their property' the whole of the .-meat in store or purchased by theim when peace is declared." 'Mr. A. Conway (Manawat.u) said that it was news to him, ,and would bo news to many farmers, that; three months afterthe war tho New Zealand farmer had to bear the risk regarding the disposal of military meat. .He trusted that before it rose the -conference would giro that point very careful consideration.