MEAT PRICES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2894, 5 October 1916, Page 8

MEAT PRICES

■ AND IMPERIAL GO\T- , .:. . ERNMBNT SUPPLIES. •• By Telegraph—Press Association. '.■""• I Chrl6tchurch, October 4. '. ':,'. ;■• A meeting of farni'„ers, pafltoraHsts, and others, interested r.-in the price of Now Zealand meat; was -held to-day to consider'the position — with .regard to tho question of com''mandflercd meat:' On the motion of ■'.:■' G. D. Greenwood tho following' '•'motioja was carried: "That this representative meeting of North Canterbury ; ' ...sheep-farmers, while offering no objec-,■■-.,Vtion, to the commandeering _ of their -meat for tho purpose of feeding troops, /-is firmly,convinced that its handling '.-■',-' -openstho way to enormous profits he-' "Jug made by speculators, They feol ':;■• "that while toe sale ofßritiah and foreign meat is untrammelled, New Zealand farmers' interests are being gross- :'"' 4,1y neglected. They therefore rccom- • in any now contract with the Government, an advance of at ; "leasfcld. per lb. being paid for all meat ""commandeered for Imperial purposes, - ,; jand the mode of disposal of surplus '//. ™moat not required for the troops reorganised in such a way that unless Imperial Government can assuro -■■•.:•,.,tho producors of the Dominion that ' »it is in a position to exerciso. control ." :• -of all imported meat the surplus should -be'placed on tho market in open com•"iJefcifcion. They entroat Mr. Massey to ""us© his utmost,influence whilo in England in having this resolution carried ; ".into effect."/ •:'-. .;., It was resolved that the 'suggestions , ..in the- resolution should' only take effect on the completion of _ Hie new - agreement with tho Imperial: Govern-. - -meat. - ■■'••' _/■ . .-.'''. ' /•"'On the motion 'of, Mr. Geo. Gardner 'id was decided :';"Tliat this meeting re- .' quest the Government to'appoint ventatives :'of' the producers '0h,'..a1l Jijjeardsian'd <ximmissions'set up to fix .prices, freights, etc." ; '' . ■'. • ■.'.' • ......On the motion of Mr. H:.S. Brown ■/•it was resolved: "That this' meeting, -representative of. the. meat' .industry, •views with 1 alarm past dealings'with ;nlio Now' Zealand meat surplus, arid Sir T. Mackenzie's explanation, and /-■ that the 'Acting-Prime Minister .be asked to cablo the English Prime-Min-

ister for his assurance that steps will be taken to prevent unreasonable, individual profits in future." NO NEWS OF INCREASE YET. Tho Minister in Chargo of the Imperial Meat Purchaso Branch (tho Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald) has no new 3 yet of any increase in the prices for iSow Zealand meat for tho coming export season. Ho received a telegramon the subject from the High Commissioner on Monday, but it stated simply that nothing definite had been deoided. Mr. Mao Donald stated yesterday that the whole position had been put very clearly to the Board of Trado i at Homo, and ho was daily expecting advice. Ho said, however, that no .application for increased prices bad .been made by the New Zealand Government. Mr. Mac Donald states also that be has had no nioro news albout the commandeering of wool, either at Home or in New Zealand. Surprise was expressed by Mr. Robert Burns,, of Auckland, who returned from England by the lonic, at tho price being paid to New Zealand farmers by tho Imperial Government for beef (says tho Auckland "Herald"). Mr. Burns visited soveral farming "districts in Britain and conversed with graziers. He ascertained that British .farmers were receiving at the rato of Is. per lb. dead weight on the hooks for beef, whereas the price paid to New Zealand growers was about half that amount. In Mr. Burns's opinion this difference was'far too great. Ho also heard when at I?omo that the Argentine beef producers wero receiving a greater amount for their beef than the.farmers.of Australia and New Zealand.. This in spite of tnc fact that the Imperial Government had control of practically the'whole- of tho freezing spaco in the ships which could bo used.for conveying Argentine meat, to Britain and the' Continent. /There had been a great dccrca-so in stock on the Continent,' but, in Britain, the.returns hp to last/Decomber showed a slight increase. . Mr.' Burns said ho thought tlioro was bound to bo ; a very great entry of frozen'meat into Continental countries after the'., war. ': In 'Conversation's .he .had had with representatives of the Governments of, and prominent people in, Belgium and Prance, they '. had stated that they would have to admit frozen meats into those countries.