THE MEAT TRUST MENACE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2928, 14 November 1916, Page 4

THE MEAT TRUST MENACE

Sir,—ln connection with my previous letter on'tho above subject, which appeared in a recent issue of The Dominion, permit mo to add several items or interest. lam informed by one of tho best-known and widely-respected farmers in tho AVaikato that the representative of a Meat Trust firm wished to make an offer lor a certain dairy company's output of butter and cheese. When asked for his price, ho would not state any figure, but said: "Wo will giro Is. per cwt. better than anyone else. Again, tho buyers of stock for tho Meat Trust in this and surrounding districts aro asking farmers to find out what tho freezing companies are giving for sheep and lambs, saying "wo will give Is. per hca<i better than anyone else!" Both'these offers aro on tho.approved Meat Trust.methods of doing business, and.show their determination to eliminate all compettiion and to obtain absolute control.

At the recent conference oF freezing companies held in Wellington, it was stated that one large company, who are behoved to be controlled by, or aro working in conjunction with, the Moat Trust, gave a rebate of storage charges on moat allowed by tho Imperial Government to one of tho Meat Trust firms.. 'When I stato that threefourths of a- million sterling were distributed among the freezing companies last season for 'storage, it will be seen what this rebate means. Responsible. officers of the Agricultural Department inform mo that tho Department is fully alive to tho position, and have been collecting data for some timo.' '' '

Tho Minister of Agriculture.has also stated that provided tho principal producers show enough interest in tho matter, ho will call a conference to discuss tho position, but ho must have tho farmers to back him up, and whilo pric'os are so good, it is questionable if they will take tho trouble. To my mind,' thero is no doubt Wat unless early steps aro taken to fight tho evil, the Trust will get such a strana;le-hol_d that it will be impossibla to shako it n(F. If this country by a supine and "laissex fairo" policy allows itself to drift into the clutches of tho r Bleat Trust in the same way that the Argentine' has donb, then the result will be disastrous not only to the producers, but to the community as a whole.

If has been suggested in several quarters that little'can be done in New Zealand to light tho Trust,' and that action can onlv be taken in London.

Tho "Dunedin Evening Star" says: "Ono shrewd representative of the meat-buying trade gives it as his onininn that, to tackle tho Trust in New Zealand is-to begin at .the wrong-end, and to court failure.". I believe this opinion to be entirely wrong (and I am not singular in this respect). Surely tho producers of the simply aro the ppr>plc to determine to whom they will sell their goods. Once the produce passes out of their hands,.is duly paid for and owned by the Trust, how can anyone in: London or elsewhere dictate to the Trust the way they aro to conduct their business?.

It is only by going to tho fountainhead and" controlling tho supplv (and the Government can assist in effecting this) that tho operations of tho Trust can bo foiled. '

In' conclusion, I may state that mv lotter on tlio "Meat Trust Menaco" was puhlished by most of the loading: papers throughout the Dominion, < and many of the freezing companies and farmers' unions have' distributed supplies among their members and clients, thus showing that the matter was recognised' as : of considerable ' interest and importance to tlio producing community.—l am, etc.. M. A. ELIOTT. Palmerston North, Noycmber 9, 1916.