FARMERS, FOOLERS, MEAT MATTERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 293, 6 September 1919, Page 8

FARMERS, FOOLERS, MEAT MATTERS

Sir,—l hasten into print with vour permission. Being busy in other directions prevented my getting in earlier; but I hops lam in time to endorse the protest ' made in some quarters to precipitation into the United Kingdom of a lxiard of half-informed or perhaps ill-informed agents, with somewhat hastily-prescribed duties, and without a proper consultation with those tliev are'to chiefly represent.- This is with all due respect to tlie gentlemen who have been named. The situation has not suddenly arisen, and is not likely to lie much helped by a sudd»n remedy, applied nt considerably cost. It may even only allay symptoms that had much better take their courso. Air. l'olson deserves thanks for promoting this stir,, nevertheless. It may be pointed out. too, that had the suggestions •of Mr. F. T. Moore and myself of something like seventeen years ago been put into capable effect, the present position would not have arisen, and many thoupands.of pounds would have been saved to the producers of New Zealand—not. to inl ion patriotic hpnrt-biirning. I have still a draft of the Meat Act, 1M (proposed), which I drew at that time, emliodying the creation of boards of control and advice, representative of the various parties concerned. Tile present. proposal contains nothing so democratic, nor provision to consult with tha mass of those they i<ssuma to represent, or to heing guided (after due deliberation and discussion) by the voice of ths majority enlightened, not fooled. Sir Walter Buchanan once said to a gathering of farmers (who were proposing tlm erection of co-operative'freezing works): "Farmers are —awful /nntus / the farmers lausfhed and were foolcdfor that time. But "Waingawa "sprung inti n Nourishing existence a few yenr« latrr. This, with many other "cn-operatings, relieved the situation preatly, hut farmers wero lulled into a foolish confidence, and agitators wero anathema; Our High Commissioner and 'his stall at the London end of a cable, the presence "i tlmt. vicinitv of our two lending politicians (and Sir Walter Buchanan, too, I think), the "paternal" interest, of our ,r Motherlnnd" ill our welfare, besides other and many fiteel and silken bonds, have proved futile to protect, us from commercial injustice amounting almost to outrage. "Wo have been given hopes from time to lime to soothe our infantile unrest. One I may mention was the recent statement that Mr. Massey was bearing important suggestions from the British Government in the direction of mutual co-operation against certain hostile commercial exploiters. We waited.AV o wait. Are wo fooled again? If Mr. Poison and Dr. Reakes (Gove.rmv.ent \ eterinarian) go to replace Mr. Massey ana Sir Joseph Ward in London and to advise and assist our High Commissioner a* that end of the cable, . shall they and v;e. bo fooled again? Or will tho Beef Trust, alias Shipping Ring, alias certain nameless capitalists and so-called statesmen who havo fattened, and whose "love of truth and virtuo" it is not becoming to brag aliout—will tlicy bo meekly subdued and driven - from interference with, and control of, our produce, our markets, and our men? • It is said, and history shows, that "anyone entrusted.with power (whether-a princo or '.mo of the people) will abuse it if not animated by a love of truth and virtue." Hurry up, people, and •I'liiember this. Let us hope that an era of-truth and virtuo will be«m qmciclv, and, like charity at home, spread. Shall we succeed ygamst a sellish, grccdj, powerful, and unrelenting trust, by any ••.ombimttion of- sellish and greedy producers, in our (to them) insignificant land of little over one million people. .big Biz" and the producers, however, aiu reasoning together in U.S.A., and the consumers there are taking a hand, and the I'ederal authority of aiiout one hundred million people—virile and itpmomtic —lias not been idlo in this, lheir agents have already reported, anioug other things, oil "The iiiiglish. Meat Situation." Hepublieans ami Democrats have eacii produced a measure for consideration ill Senate, each aiming at tho - same end—curtailment and restraint of "Big Biz" in the interests of producer and consumer. It is reported by tho agents referred to that there was prejudice against frozen beef in England, and that the (.lo'vemment allotments were seldom nil taken up, owing to the poor quality, of frozen . beef imported iroiu U.S.A", which resulted in plans to get beet' from Australia (m?iihing to include Xew Zealand) and tho Argentine, to bo • sold ut a lower price. Our producers tdtould try and obtain this report in full, for it surely shells some light. Stoics are faid to be full in U.S.A., but talk about beef shortage was taken seriously by tho cattle men, imd, now they fear their fills will come In market (trustowlied) to find export shrunk in prices below cost of pruiluctiou. They expect nevertheless that, the licver-satisued coil-' stimer will not cease to complain, Conferences between producers and packers haw impressed Ike former's representatives with the very complex problems, \iiid constantly changing conditions make 'S hard io yuan! the interests of Iho • throe' parlies—producers, packers, and consun*rs. i A ciiiipaign of "co-operation and edu- i cation-' is commencing. . There is our cite! A recent U.S.A. paper says Unit the real need is sober, clearly thought- •, ■Hit constructive suggestions to Congress, mid that it is the most dilliciilt nuestion now before Congress, in conclusion, Sir, 1 am conscious of the demand upon your space nt this time, but 1 trust tnat j-oii (as also the public) will appreciate iny niolivu olid recognise tilo need of ;i campaign of "co-operation and education" here. Thauking you in anticipation.— 1 am, etc., EVELYN MCDONALD. To lloro, August 31, 1019,