THE MEAT PURCHASE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 34, 4 November 1919, Page 7

THE MEAT PURCHASE

. QUESTION OF EXTENSION SERIOUS POSSIBILITIES SUGGESTED The Prime Minister slated in . tho House of Representatives yesterday that ne had received a cablegram from the High Commissioner in reply to his in quiry whether or not the Imperial Government was willing.to extend the purchase of meat from New Zealand. ITo ■ had not asked for an extension. He had morely asked if the Imperial authorities were willing to extend, so that • the. producers hero might be able to decide what they would do. The reply was ivs folows:— "The Bdard of Trade states that attention is being given to the matter. It must bo considered in relation to negotiations now proceeding for the renewal of River Plate contracts and the proposed extension of the "Australian contract. AYhen these negotiations and proposals' have reached n stage nearer settlement, the Board of Trade will discuss the 'question with the Ministry of Food and will communicate with you and His Majesty's Government." ' Mr. Massey said he did not know why New Zealand should bo placed in the position indicated by the cablegram. He would reply asking for a definite statement at the earliest possible moment. Sir Joseph. AVard said it was not satisfactory that New Zealand should have to wait until arrangements with the. Argentine, mid Australia had been brought nearer to settlement. If Australia had an arrangement and New Zea-' land had nono the position would be serious, since the British Government would control the shipping and would lift its own meat from Australia in preference to free meat from New Zealand. Australia was bargaining for a price 2d. per pound higher than was being paid to New Zealand now. Mr. Massey said the point raised'by ' the honourable member was exactly the point ho himself had tried to emphasise in discussing the meat purchase. Ho had experienced a certain amount of difficulty in making some people understand the danger. If New Zealand had no arrangement with tho Mother Country' for tho purchase of meat and other produce, there would bo far greater difficulty in getting tho stuff to the markets- than thero t.'as at the present time. Sir Joseph AVard: It would lie ruinous. Mr. Massey: I think the British.Government ami the Food Control Department should be made clearly to understand that we aro not going to take a secondary position to either of the other countries mentioned. We want at least as good a price, in comparison to those countries, as we have had in the past. AVo have received a slightly better price than Australia or the Argentine. It is admitted that our meat is better than' the meat of either of the other countries. 1 am afraid that many of the producers don't realiso tho seriousness of the position that may nriso if we aro left out of tho arrangements made with tho Argentine and Australia. A fish merchant in Great Yarmouth found that mi oyster had trapped and killed a ■ fair-sized mouse. The oyster was on the top of a large hamper. The mouse had apparently touched it, and, closing instantly, tho oyster squeezed ilts head and neck quite flat. The British and Foreign Bible Society, says nn English paper, .states Hint thero is a Bible famine, and that the society is unablo to execute all domands made upon it. Tho superintendent of thp society states:—"From 1911-1S wo added 35 new languages to our printed publications, making altogether 517 different languages in which the Bible is printed by us. This includes our printing works in Japan and China, and also the presses in Germany, which were kept going throughout the war. Last year wo dispatched 8,7-i(i,-000 Bibles to all parU of tho world accessible." For want of a Pied Piper of Ifamelin, the Board of Agriculture is using the next best thing to get rid of the rats aud mice—a bill. The rat lias been described as the most expensive animal maintained by man. He costs in damage anything up to 0:40,000,000 a year—as much as tho whole ot the British Government subsidy to the farming industry. He spreads bubonic piague and other diseases among ■men and animals alike. The fiat has now gone forth; ho must he exterminated wherever he shows'his head—in stacks, in granaries, in warehouses, in the holds of yesiels.