CONTROL OF N.Z. MEAT PRICES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 73, 20 December 1920, Page 6

CONTROL OF N.Z. MEAT PRICES

FARMERS CONSIDER IT UNFAIR A WAIRARAI'A RESOLUTION By-" Tdegriph—Special Correspondent, i " Masterton, December IS. That this ranting emphatically • protests against price-control in )' ijilngland on New Zealand's free meait, , '... unless all other' meat in the Old 'Oouitry is similarly controlled; and . ; that. the' executive of the Farmers' bo asked to tako the matter Snd /bring the question before tho •Government. Oirth'e motion of Mr. Hugh Morrison (president, of the Wairarapa Sub-Centre «f "tho' Farmers' Union) .tho abovo resolution was carried* unanimously by a - large meeting of farmers held • hero today. An address on meat control was • • delivered by Mr. J, C. Cooper (managing director of the "Wellington farmers' i '-Meat -Company), who recently returned/ ' from England. ■ Mr. Cooper said his hearers would all be aware that under , existing.conditions all meat in Now Zealand and Australia was owned by the Imperial Government, 'l'hev were receiving 75 per cent, of payment four to • "six 1 ; weeks after killing, the balance toein* paid after the meat was shipped. • The meat, which during tho war was used by the nrmies. wus now put on tho Home markets,. and a larg*. proportion • of that meat (as tlio speaker could 'personally testify) was sold at the Smith- ; field market in a condition that was not ■ pleasing to the eye. The people who • were using; their best endeavours to prolong tho control were big operatives, big shopkeepers, etc. Thoir object was to mix the cheaper New Zealand meat with i the 'more .expensive grown by '.the farmers of Great Britain. The Te-:.:sult-was. that only- frequently the Dominion product lost its identity. - - Tho speaker had interviewed Mr. Hall • (Assistant Controller) while at Some, nnd had pointed out that if control, was 1 exercised over Now Zealand TiH'ut, the farmers of Groat. Britain and Holland ph'ould ho treated on tho same basis. Mr. Hall, replied that such a step would cause a revolution, among the farmers of the British Isles.The; New Zealand ■ farmers had bad a good time during, the ' 'war, and could surely atford to lose a little now. To this„the speaker had re- • ' tortod that. the money so earned had been -expended on equipping the Army that "the Dominion had sent to France. Of course, Mr. Hall, who was only the tervant of bigger people), could hardly 'be blamed. The control price for lamb i ' -was-only Is. Id. per lb., and as charges for handling, etc;, had increased by 300. per. : cent, ou pie-war figures, -it' was :> necessary to havß a higher price for meat before any profit at all could be made. The people at Home were taking advantage of tho fact that New: Zealand was 12,000 miles away. The Domin- • i ' ion farmers and the Government should i lend their united support to the High ■ .Commissioner's office, which was doing •-.its-best in the matter. . .. r " Mr. G. B. SyVes, M.P., In seconding ■the motion quoted abovp, warned farm- ; ?«*' 'to''be very careful" regarding any resolutions they mightt - pass.- Twelve months ago they had asked for discontinuance of the commandeer on wool, '• I for "which they werp then receiving Bs. ■ Gd. per lb. What was the position to,day? . Thg commandeer had been lifted, - and they could not get 6d. per lb. for their, wool, The same thing had hap- ■ pfnSl in regard to cheese. In the Lower f • Valley thare was a factory which un- : 'fortunately hpd .been persuaded to consign'its output of cheese. This factory ' teas' pAying its suppliers at the rate .'.of only Is. per lb- of buttor-fat, while . nnoth-?r factory in the same district, which" had sold its cheese in the open .market, was paying out 2s. per lb. of butter-fat.' He Would support the• moprovided that they wore satisfied about tho ultimate, results. They should ; --remember that a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush.