WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

NEW ZEALAND MEAT. LEAVE ALLEGATIONS. (Our Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, October 29. The allegations Mr H. Holland made in the House of Representatives on Wednesday in regard to the quality and condition of tlio New Zealand meat sent Home and of the meat canned here for local consumption are far too grave to he dismissed by an indignant retort from the Minister of Agriculture. Of course no one credits that the inemhei for Bailor has really discovered such a state of affairs as he depicted in the House, and the public will readily excuse the hot \yords that sprang to the Minister’s lips, but something more than the departmental report promised by Mr Nosworthy will be required to dispel the ueasy feeding that has been created. The good name of New Zealand meat has been for years one of the Dominion’s principal assets and to have it impugned just now in high places is particularly unfortunate. CLOSER INSPECTION.

It is admitted that a good deal of meat > deteriorated through lengthy storage during the war period, both here and in the Old Country, and that a certain amount was sent away in anythig but prime condition. But Mr Holland’s allegations go a good deal •further than this in implying that stock of a very inferior "quality has been slaughtered and tlurTthe worst of it has been passed off on an unsuspecting public in a fashion amounting to nothing less than fraud.' If this had actually occurred the officers of Mr Nosworthy’s department would stand convicted of culpable negligence and would be obviously incapable of furnishing any report that would be reassurring to the public. In these circumstances the only investigation that could satisfy the public would be one conducted quite indepently of these gentlemen. • SHIPPING FREIGHTS.

Ono of the most disturbing of tlie alarming reports that have been submitted to Parliament for a very long time is the one presented to the House by Mr George Hunter, on behalf of the Agricultural, Stock and Commerce Committee, dealing with shipping freights. The personnel of the committee saves it from any suspicion of being socialistic in its tendencies, and yet Mr Hunter and his colleagues report that “ it is desirable, in the best interests of the Dominion, that, a shipping line be established which will be entirely independent of any combination and that the Government should assist in the establishment of such a line by guarantee, financial or otherwise.” This is not exactly an incitement towards the nationalisation of the shipping services, but it goes some distance in that direction. ” PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

During the, course of the debate on ii.e report, Mr 0. Hawken, the member for Egmont, who speaks with authority for a constituency of producers, stated the cost of sending a carcass of mutton ro London under present conditions was nearly 4Jd a pound, and that the producer would get 7s fid for a 30s careas?, while the handling and transport charges would amount to 22s Qd. The Prime Minister admitted the accuracy of the figures quoted by Mr Hawken and other members of the House, but lie was opposed to State shipping lines, quoting the Commonwealth line in support of his view, and would use moral suasion with the shipping companies before embarking upon a hazardous undertaking which he would regard with much trepidation.