OVERSEA PRODUCTS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 169, 11 April 1919, Page 10

OVERSEA PRODUCTS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM

NO. EXPLOITATION BY THE DOMINIONS. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, Hi£h Commissioner for New Zealnnd, wlip presided at a recent mewling of the Cold Storage and Ice Association at the Koyal Society of Arts, said lie wished to correct tli« false impression in the Old Country that the overseas Dominions were exploiting the British public. There, was 110 such exploitation on the part of Australia 01' New Zealand. lie gathered from a statement made by Major* Astor 1 lint the prices pa«l for'.. American, meat ranged up to Is. Id. per lb., but lie (Sir Thomns) understood, that American and all other meats were sold at one uniform price. New Zealand had sold her wool, her 'butter, and her cheese to the Home people nt reasonable •: prices, and had renewed the contracts for . meat at tho terms- which prevailed in lPlfi, the f.o.b. prices per lb, being: Mutton, 4'5-Sd. to 5 3-Bd.; lamb, -1 5-Sd. to Gsd.; and beef. 4Jd. to !id. To these prices must be added freight and other charges before landing, say 3d. per lb. These prices were quoted in order to assist tlie British Government to provide good, wholesome meat for the Army at a moderate cost, the surplus to go to the British consuming public at a reasonable price. If it was contended that the British Government had lo pay certain rates in America in order to secure the meat, ana' then, buying at lovrei; figure from the Dominions, averaged tlie price, over all, that had nothing whatever to do with the Dominions. It was never- the intention of New Zealand lo sell her splendid meat at a low'price-in'order that high prices might I)9'paid to American packers. The wholesale price of mutton and lamb in this country was Is. 3d., and' the retail prices, ranged from'ls. to*2s., according to cut, legs being Is. !)Jd. and shoulders Is. 7d. The wholesalo price of beof was Is. 3.U1., and the retail prices ranged from Is. 3d. to 2s. 4d., sirloin lieing Is. lflid., ribs Is. 10rt„ and stealc 29. id.