TRUSTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 270, 3 August 1918, Page 9

TRUSTS

IN MEAT AND SHIPPING FARMERS' UNION ATTITUDE LEGISLATION REQUESTED

. \csterday tho Dominion Conference of tho .New Zealand Farmers' Union passed tho following resolutions respecting "moat and shipping trusts":— "That (ho .New Zealand Fanners' Unio.-i desires to express its appreciation of the New Zealand. Parliamentary Committee's report upoii *ho moat and shipping trusts, and to Bay that its findings lully justified and confirmed iho main resolutions which tho Dominion Coni'er--01130 of this union passed in July, ]!)17. Therefore, with tho object of furtnertng tho committee's findings, and checking the evils of the meat and shipping trusts, the following recommendations aro suggested:— "(1) I'hiit tlio Government should bo urged to see that comprehensive legislation k introduced and duly passed inln law in Ihe enduing session yi the Now Zealand .I'urliaaieiit, in order to give- full legislative effect to the recommundatioiiri ol: Iho. Now Zealand Parliamentary Committee's report, as suggested in clauses 1 and 2 of their recommendations, and particularly to see :hat iiie legislation embraces tho shipping as well as tlio meat, trust menace, as I his is essential in tho interests of tho producers of Now Zealand, the consumers in England, aud tho prosperity of this Dominion us a whole. "(2) To record its approcialionaiul approval of tho late Lord Ivliondda's deoi.Mon to discontinue tho system of nomination for tho surplus New Zealand meat, as this system unquestionably creates a monopoly and mainly benefits such firms as work in conjunction with the meat trusts. "(3) This conference also desires to record ite strong disapproval of (ho meat agents' action in inducing the authorities to continue the nomination system, and would respectiully request that tho Government of New Zealand should take such action as is necessary to represent the views of tho New Zealand farmers in. this respect to the Home authorities. as a Dominion Conference of tho New Zealand Fanners' Union, as well as public meetings, of farmers in various park; of tho Dominion-, have expressed disapproval of the nomination system. "(A) This conference would respectfully suggest that an individual or committeo in no way associated with the buying and selling of meat should be immediately appointed to control tho disposal of any surplus meat iu England. "(5) That this conference desires to protest to the authorities against the unsatisfactory allocation of shipping space in .\ew Zealand. "(6) That this conference is of opinion that if the Imperial Government would pay for the :nout on the houks it would in a great measure do away with the moat buyers being a bio to handle so much of our meat and nominating their agents in England. "(i) That copies of these resolutions be sent to the Prime Minister and all the Cabinet Minister J iu New Zealand, also to Mr. Lloyd George, Prime Minister of England, the I'ood Controller in England, ns well as to Sir Joseph Maclay, Shipping Controller in England, asking for than- co-operation and a&.<£tuiicu in these various urgent and important mutters which realty affect the true prosperity and success of the British Empire and its Allies at this critical -juncture. "(8) That, at the conclusion of the Dominion Conference, a deputation reprcediting that conference should wait upon tho Cabinet Minister to urge these recommendations upon tho Government; and, further, upon tho opening of Parliament, a deputation ronrusentutive of the branches of the New , Zealand I'armers , Union throughout New Zealand should wait upon the Prime Minister ttho Hon. Mr. iUitsseyj and Sir Joseph Ward upon their return from England to personally request them to sco that the necessary steps aro takeu to combat tho dangers reierred to. "(9) That the Dominion Exccutivo bo asked to' consider what methods can bo suggested by which tho whole output of New Zealand meat could be disposed of in England by single control. "(IU) That the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Wholesale Federation be asked to t'ormnlato a plan for improving tho method of disposing of our meat nnd dairy produce in Britain, keeping in view tho probable necessity of establishing cool stores in four British ports for tlio purpose of reasonable distribution. "(11) That this conference of tho Farmers' Union, entirely dissonts from the finding of tho Parliamentary Meat Export Committee to tho effect that tho Government should retain control of tho meat export business, being strongly of opinion that when normal conditions return this branch of our business should revert to pre-war methods. "(12) It is suggested that the Now Zealand Government should establish a grading system by which all meat exported should bo graded by the Government on a uniform system applicable to the different portions of New Zealand." It is suggested that a system of indelible branding of meat be adopted to show country of origin and to prevent inferior grades being sold «s first quality.