NEW ZEALAND MEAT IN ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 91, 10 January 1918, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND MEAT IN ENGLAND

FOOD CONTROLLERS INTERVENTION

UNEASINESS HERE

The cabled news that the Food Con- - trollef in .England has interfered to •' disturb the existing arrangements for ■the distribution and sale of the meat v from New Zealand whioh is not re- ;; quired for the use of the armies, has ~.- been the cause of some little uneaeiness in this country. No definite informa- ;•[ tion has yet been obtained by the Gov- •■■■'■ eminent as to the extent of the inter- •■ ■;ference of the Food Controller in the '' arrangements, which, have previously "} been the concern of the Board of Trade. .'.;■ It Is considered that if ■ tho existing , . agreement is not observed ,, tho New Zealand meat "exporting companies will •-.euffer ; Jby loss of; all their trade con- ■' 'riections. 'When the'lmperial meat pur--chase was arranged it was well -understood that there were certain classes of meat exported from . this country .which would not be used for the armies - or for any war purpose, and "that this .meat would be released for sale to ji ßritish consumers. It was agreed that in proportion' to the amount of meat exported by any firm a share of the ,'„. meat to be sold should be handed over ' for ■ distribution to the public through the agents of the exporters in this country.. This Las led to the so-called "nomination" system, by which meat operators and buying companies in New ■"-' Zealand have directed that any meat ' -which they may be entitled to have released to them shall be handed over to persons nominated by them in' London. .. ; The breaking of this arrangement will cause serious hardship to those New • 'Zealand concerns which have been maintaining their own selling organisations in Britain. It seems to he com- ■"" mon ground that the existence of this agreement has been for the benefit of ... the New. Zealand but there is also evidence that it was carried out in such a way that it was not a benefit to the British. consumer. ■ It has been observed as a fact that some operators in. New Zealand who ' have been nominating to firms at Home with big selling organisations have been able to pay considerably, inore .than the Government schedule prices for meat such'ae lamb, which is certain, to be released for sale in England. These '.operators have to resell every pound "' of their meat to the Government,, but " they have been'able, so it has been " said, to-make this, small loss because they would alwaye make huge profits on the sale of the meat in England. The New Zealand producer has benefited : By these circumstances, in that he has often received for his stock,

and especially for lamb, a better price than tbnt offered by the Government on behalf of the Imperial Board of Trade. The first caro of the Food Controller is presumably the welfare of the consumer in Britain, and he may be taking notion to intercept some of the profits alleged to be made by the distributors of the meat already purchased hy the Inderal Government in the countries or origi;i.