NO PROFITEERING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20080, 28 October 1939, Page 6

NO PROFITEERING

THE PRICE FOR MEAT EVERY PENNY NEEDED POSITION OF FARMERS DECLINING PRODUCTION (Por Press Association,) WELLINGTON, this day. Commenting on the price agreement for meat sold to Britain, Mr. A. J. O’Shea, secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union made it clear that the true value of the prices could not be assessed until the intermediate handling charges had been fixed and until the prices for by-products bad been announced. However, the prices appeared to be satisfactory and on a slightly higher basis than last year’s. They were not going to allow the farmer any profiteering. The farmer would require every penny he was to get in order to retain his position, but the prices seemed to be reasonable in the circumstances. It was doubtful whether the coming season would bo more productively satisfactory than last year’s. Parts of the east coast were running behind the normal rain schedule and the South Island stock iosscs had been fairly heavy because of snow storms and ’continued rough weather. After tiie drought in many parts of New Zealand, ewes had not entered the winter in perfect condition and lambs would have a big hurdle in front of them this spring. Members of the meal trade explained that it will be useless to comment until the intermediate handling charges were announced. The schedule prices announced could, until then, be only a rough guide. It. was stated, however, that the Hon. W. Nash’s anxiety about Inadequate freezing storage space was shared by the export and freezing companies and that most companies were now planning and making extensions to their space.