THE MEAT SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 115, 9 February 1920, Page 4

THE MEAT SITUATION

WHERE THE TROUBLE LIES.

((To: tho Editor.)

Sir—ln common with, most producers, I wish to congratulate .Mr. ilastey 011 his letter to Sir James Wilson upon tin: moat question, recently published in your columns. It is true that to some of us the suggestions contained in the letter may appear like an attempt to lock the sl:;ii)le door alter the horse is stolen, but it is gratifying to find that the seriousness of the situation has occasioned 1 rlie Minister's absorbed attention. Perhaps i may be allowed to make some ! comment upon tho situation. I It. seems to me that it is now too late j in the dav to talk about clearing our . stores bv tho next meat season. Had Mr. Massov given tho farmers' proposals. the serious consideration last, year which ] tliev arc now receiving iwmi him the j position might have been very different. I would ask vou to cast your mind back over the past nine months, and recall that the position which has now arisen has been accurately prophesied as fur back as Julv last. You will remcmboV that I myself pointed out what was Ixiund to happen and what has since hapDened. I stated at that dato that the continual crv of "ships, more ships! was actuallv misleading the producer. I supported my statement by cablegrams irom meat authorities at Home, extracts from the trade reviews and other evidence that the English stores were rapidly filling, if not altogether full. 51 r. liassey's reply was to quote a cableGTftiuo from the High Commissioner that onlv somewhere about two and 11 quarter million carcasses were in store. Since then there have been frequent Press cablegrams and statements ill tho English and colonial Press concerning the glutted condition of the stores throughnut Great Britain niul the hold-up of shipping which was actually being utilised for cold storage until space could be found for tho meat ashore. Mr. Hassev's recent answer to this was the sootnin2 statement that tho congestion was occurring in London alone. Ivow think that tho latest cablegrams and reports from tho English newspapers to hand must make it manifest to the most faithful believer in Ministerial dictum that the congestion has reached such an acute stare that the Imperial authorities themselves have awakened to tho seriousness of the problem from their own ooint of view. ... .• Nor was Mr. slasse/s information » recrard to the commandeer much more en linhtenins than his information about the condition of the refrigerated stores I stated positively to the Dominion Con ference of the Farmers' Union last }ear. and also to Mr. Massey, that from formation which had come into Biri» session I was satisfied the Imperial Gov eminent would not extend the command «,r. and that it was useless to alc tor it/ and I explained confidentially to the Farmers' Union and Shecpbreeders Association the nature of the information I had received. While Ido not vwh b nose as an authority on the subject. I think that Mr. Masscy would hnie been wiser to have investigated this ur-pect ot the ouestion than to have "Peatedly he ' ( out hones of an extension of the com mandcer. as he has undoubtedly done. All through this contro-ersy, which has occupied so many l:lont ~ s / h " t ™ u rg e s have been utilised 111 lemed.al nieasur , I have been hammering awaj athe point that reduced consumption, caused by high prices, and thus occasioning a It it the English end was the cm of the situation, and not shippi.-io. Massey, on the eontrar}', has „one IMJ mi shinning lctui to James AVilson he still harps 011 .he necessity of obtaining ships to t ear_oui stores As a matter of fact, the oificia tow show that there are more in sKed ships, and of ?y»tcr t^ 8 ! to-day than before the >v«r h..e iml more are near<n ? "fi opinion, shipp ng in the near wHlie both cheap and plentmil, but wnat £ the use of talking about shipping when. If we had all the refrigerated .steamers on the globs to-morrow morning the} could not handle our frozen meat e ; cause there is nowhere to jut it. 1 gest that Mr. Massey. has been m > loul bv his officers in vegan} to ine situaton, and that the remedy which was approved by the Dominion Conferonce of the Farmers Union last jeai, and which included a commission to England, was tho proper solution of the Sir, may.l say a IV proposed commission, or unicli l 1 appen to be a member? Mr. Massey now tolls us, if the telegraphed nummary nf bis remarks is accurate, that ho will only send the commission if the and shecpbreeders agnin go through all lust year's formalities and wk for it once more. In fact, his atu udc, can ~n l v l;e explained in two wajs: either lie has 110 confidence in tho men appointed or he has no sympathy with ths proposal. How can any commission proceed to England under such auspices us thc*n. Public confidence must be sliaken am. the commissioners themselves aisconrarcd. Personally, 1 made one of tl.e commission with considerable reluctance, and at grout sacrifice, and I v -ant to make it plain now, that under such circumetances nothing will persuado mc to act 011 any commission I still that a commission would have done goou and valuable work, but tlmt any .(•omniiss!on proceeding to England now wlll . ll! |V its olToi'ts stu.tilled owing to ihe attitude of the Prime Minister, whose *ear 01 doing anything displeasing to tho English authorities tins Vcome almost .in obsession. May I say 111 conol'.is.on that it. lias been mv lmbit to carefully refrain from saving anything in criticism of sfr, sf.issey's policy in any addresses I havo delivered on this subject. My onlv object has been to try and help in the solut'on of the difficulty which faces us as producers. 1 fail, theretoro. to understand why Mr. Massey should have gone out of his 11 ay to M'gpestjhat lam merely crying "stinking I'.sh. I have not referred in any conns of dis\iarav ccinpnt lo tho mo-ai. Ibis PIKI, fluo have boon ('anient to quote public opinion as expressed ill (he Press at (lie Knglisli end. It is purely time Hie. producers iw.l'sed the position instead 'if living in fnuls' paradise, and in spilo of anything Mr. Massey may say to the contrary, New Zealand farmers should 1» wakened up to the fact (hat thoir interests are suffering through the liandlmz of our meat in the Imperial stores and bv tho Imperial authorities generally, and that drastic and imm.ttpnto steps must be taken to put matters right, step* even more drastic and immediate than Mr. st«sscy's letter to Sir James Wilson contains any hint of.—l am, etc., W. J. POLSON. Fordell, February 1-