SHIPS AND PRODUCE

Dominion, 14 August 1919, Page 6

SHIPS AND PRODUCE

OUTLOOK FOR THE FARMERS

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S VIEWS Sir Joseph Ward, Minister of Finance, mada eomo references to the shipping , ehortago and the accumulation of produce in the couieo of n statement in Christchnrch this week. Referring to the proposal that tho Govern- ', ment-should bo asked to set .up a conimitteo of expert producors to proceed to ' England to investigate the whole position of Now Zealand meat at' Home, and, if possible, to arrange for tho future distribution of our moat, Sir Joseph Ward said that anything that could be • done to relievo the situation certainly should But the whole difficul■try waa in regard to shipping. Tho Government had tried all in its power to 'get extra"ships out hero to relievo tho congestion and had succeeded in setting certain increases in tho tonnage from timo to time allowed to tho Dominion. When the suggestion was mado that, If the position is not back to normal by the end ot" Juno next (when the present contract expires), the Imperial Government might arrange to extend tho period of its purchase of New Zealand meat, Sir Joseph Ward expressed the opinion that the sooner the producers could get their free market baok" the better. Onco we had a proper supply 01 ships, there was no. doubt that tie producers would be better oft\ with an open market than they were under pre- • sent conditions, and there was every.reason why the producers should desiro the free market. Until its present con. tract expired, tho British Government /. wmld continuo to distribute the meat at . .'■ Home. Ever sinco tho armistice much I' ; of the meat had doubtless found its way i ■ to armies on the Continent for besides army of occupation, there were iFrenoh and Italian troops not vet demobilised. Those countries could not carry out demobilisation so quickly as the nations farther from the centres of unrest, for, ivith lato enemy conn-, tries adjacent to them, they jrnist move more "eannily/" ! A Question of Time. !Asio tho meat outlook from this end, it was quite evident that it was going to tako a little time for real daylight to be , seen in connection with the im- . .portant side of the business of this country—tho producers' 6ide; and any- ; thing that could be done, whether it be './the setting up of a committee to proceed .Home or anything else 'that was calculated to improve matters, should not' be left undone. Both during a,nd sinco the , war there had been euoh a hugo business at Home, and the machinery conneot«d with it 'had been so big,- that . thosp who sought to investigate it with a view to improvement sot up against ;' a very big problem. , 'The key to the whole thing, bo far ns my judgment snid Sir Joseph Ward, "is ehippuig, and plenty of it. . Kefrigerated shinpinjr, that is; and tl>at applies to the future as well as to the " present."

■ Questioned 1 as to any tendency of the •British public to become less of a meat--1 eating people than in the past, Sir Joseph .Ward snid that he was unable, from Jiis personal • observations, to say anything of tihat. He had, however, fomid that, in regard to the United Stata of ■America, tho opinion was yery widely supported that, ,as the result i of high ■prices and the rationing system, lieefeating had diminished very considerably. :'Prices of beef had fallen about 3d. per lb., and tihe tendency was for a further fall. The housoholdors of the State?, it .wassaid, had got out of the v?fy of consuming meat, and, now that the heavy export. for i. army purposes had ceased, •■the"total consumption was much reduced, and prices 'had fallen; and it was anticipated that the drop would be heavier yet.