STORAGE OF MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2918, 2 November 1916, Page 6

STORAGE OF MEAT.

NEGOTIATIONS STILL' INCOMPLETE. • The negotiations being conducted by {the Minister in. charge of the meat export business (the Hon. TV. D. S. Mao Donald) with the Board of Trade regarding storage rates to bo chargcd on moat awaiting >shipment in Now Zealand are still incomplete. It will bo remembered that the Imperial Board of Trade asked that the cost of storage should be cut down by onehalf. The freezing - companies did not agree to this, but offered to reduce charges by one-third. The rates last year were one-eighth. of_a penny per pound per month, the being free, with this provision, that storage charges must never cxceed of a penny por pound. The companies now o'ffor storago at ' one-eighth per pound for the second month, storage for the first month being free, and one-sixteenth per pound _ per : month for two months, making the maximum storage charge one fartliing per pound. This offer was communicated to Mr. Massey for submission to tho Board of Trade in London, but no roply has yet been received.

Producers are interested in the jic- • notiations hecauso they may to iiiirlircctly affected hy them. At, present tho freezing chargcs, which include •the first month's storage, arc paid hy .'.the maiv on wliob; account the stock .comes to the works, and. storage is ■ paid hv tho Board of Trade. It is possible thstif the companies' offer is not (accepted in London, and the storage j rates have to he still further reduced, i the companies may recoup themselves ;ltv increasing the freezing charges. Whether sheep are frozen on account of tho producer or a middleman, an increase l'n freezing charges would hsre |to ho home hv the producer. On the father hand there is very keen co'inlietition now among freezing companies ;for business, and in view of the koen■:iess of_tho competition it may not ho le-isy to induce all companies, especially tho n»w companies in the North .Island, to become parties to an agreemont to increaso freezing charges'.