"CLEAR DECKS”

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1920, Page 3

"CLEAR DECKS”

DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS PRODUCE. ADVICE OF SIR JAMES WILSON. FRESH MARKETS SHOULD BE FOUND. “The position we find mil-selves in to-day is that, after having been welltreated by the Imperial Government, we have our stores full of meat and a good doal of last year’s wool clip still in the Dominion,” stated Sir James Wilson, president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in the address delivered to the conference of the union. “At the beginning of the new season we will still have several million carcasses in the freezing chambers, and many bales of wool yet to clear. When we arc ■ thrown on our own resoiu-ces, what lire | we to do ? With a huge debt and the prospect of heavy taxation, everyone knows that the only way to pay our waj and prepare for lower values, which everyone expects to be soon upon us, is to increase production; and if everyone would buckle to —and as far as the land and the farmer is concerned this can be done—production could be increased ; but the attitude of some of the leaders of Labour is not very encourag-

, mg. I A BRAKE ON INDUSTRY. | “From recent events, it seems that , the brake is put on every industry by ! | tile want of coal and tlie high price of I,fuel. Some say the whole is planned so that the mines will ho nationalised. It ,j will lie a sorry day for New Zealand 'if thnt'ever comes about. We have not j so much to < complain of as far as the farm worker is concerned,'but before we can increase output we must have more assistance. I look forward and think that tlie soldiers who have settled on the land will be of great assistance in swelling the exports, but .before we can get properly into our swing we must clear tlie decks ready for action, and induce the Home authorities to get

rid of our present- stored meat and wool. How is this to 'be done? Can Great Britain absorb all this surplus? No doubt it could after a while; but we do not want to wait, if it can be avoided, till this is done, or our new season’s .produce would be competing against our own produce. The most feasible suggestion is to find fresh markets for our new seasoms products and give them for absorption. The owner of the produce cannot afford to sell it to countries which cannot pay. Already our lamb has had a well-advertis-ed introduction into the United States through “The Globe” newspaper, although it is suspected that this is an adroit move on the. part- of spine British firms who are seeking to open up a. trade with pup meat there?” NEW MARKETS. With reference to the matter of opening kip markets for New Zealand produce in America, Sir James Wilson sag-* gested that the Government should be asked to get Sir Thomas Mackenzie to return to New Zealand through Canada and the States, and to make inquiries as to the possibilities of trade with these countries. There were many opportunities, he understood, of successful business being opened up, especially in the way of lamb. If, then, they could - dispose of their earlier- killed lamb in > America, the pld meat would have a hotter chance of being disposed of in Britain, and they should soon be getting back to normal. It was understood that already two million carcases of lamb had been sold to be delivered in New York, and direct shipments from here had already been made. Sir Thomas Mackenzie has shown commendable activity in dealing with our trade in London, and he would be well up in the tricks of the trade and he able to gquge accurately flic possible demand for our produce there,. This would mean that if the shipping continued to bo ntrolled some vessels would require to be diverted from London to some port or ports in America'; hut as they were told that already there were more vessels available with refrigerated space than there were before the war. Tbe Board of Agriculture had asked that inquiries should be made of the authorities at Homo whether, if such markets could ho secured, vessels could be relied upon to take the produce to its destination. MEAT AND WOOL. Butter, and cheese stand well as to shipment. There would he scarcely any in store *when the new season opened, and there was such a demand for dairy produce in the world that there was no need to fear any delay in shipment.. It was meat and wool that were in a somewhat precarious position, was expected that there would h« can easses fo fin; itumhor of about halt a. season's qufput in store when flic pew spaspids killing began, There wps one matter of importance, In regard to the stock killed after July 31. All stock in stores at that date belonged to the Imperial Government, and they were responsible, for storage. Every .hoof which went into store after tliat date was stored at the expense uf the owner, and as it might be six months before shipment was possible, it was going to reduce the net return very considerably. Tbe Board qf Agriculture therefore made a recommendation that the Imperial authorities should be asked to allow carcass for carcass to be shipped—if available—of the new season’s meat with the stored carcasses belonging to the Imperial Government, and, further, that the meat frozen after July 31 should be considered to he that of the new season, and have priority of ship; meat. Information in June showed that about a million, carcasses had yet to reach the works, owing to the lateof the season and the congestion at the works. Once the old meat was disposed of, there was no fear but that our meat, especially our hpub, Wptfld find a ready piarkyy at good prices, and that Britain would still be our principal customer, though " 'tb *' •• lines of steamers coming from she States they might take some meat, and help to Weep down the enormous exchange rate at present ruling.