FIGHTING MEAT TRUSTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1921, Page 3

FIGHTING MEAT TRUSTS.

AMERICAN PACKERS’ RECORD. SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 2. Action in regard tn the alleged exploitation of cattle supplies in Australia and New Zealand by American packing trusts lias been rend with more than passing interest by the general public of the United States, wlm for many years have strenuously objected to a gigantic meat monopoly which lias the reputation of extracting abnormal profits while only paying the eattle-raiser a mere pittance fin* their animals. Consequently. any restrictive legislation that may be placed on the .Statute Bunks of either Australia nr New Zealand to abate abuses will tildet with the cordial approval of the “common people” of America, irrespective of what fuss may be kicked up by the "meat barons” of He States. I Whatever is being done in Anstiaj I sin in regulating the niellio Is of tl" j packers "down under” finds ii lolly i reported in i!*e eulunius of the Alliert- ! can Press, ami especial a i’teiit ioli \ s eins in he devoted to the pmhlciu i now in South America, judging hy a special dispatch from Bueno- Aiie- to a New York newspaper, whereby it appears that t lie campaign being aagnT in Uruguay ill favour ol the expropriation of all I'meigu-ow neil packing | houses, and their operation mi a rni pern live basis "fur the benefit of the call le-raiser*.,” is making considerable headway. Packing Imu-es, and cspeeiallv the American ones. recently, have keen made the subjects ~l' several I legislative piojeels. bolli in Argentina 1 and Uruguay, accompanied by wiilespread newspaper publicity. The project which has obtained the strongest pupil la i backing and llu* widest puhli- '. ,-iiv j- one bv the Uruguayan deputy. Febrino 1.. Yiaiina. which is as 1.4i lows: - j **A special com Iu n lee shall he e mrgI r’d with a I ranging for a Smith Amen j can international congress in devise means ~f defending the eatt le-i aising ! iiidustrv in the various eonnlrii's ol | ihis emit incut. The eoiiiinit iee shall arrange the prograninie tm the pre- ' posed congress, and shall include in i iln* invitation sent tu the various te--1 puhlies a resume of its im rest igatimi-. i in iirdci that, the result i.f these invest igat ion - may sene as a l.asis ml I n l.ieti lhe public ollieials m lie eollllI ill's represented at the congress may plan I heir policy. Without prejudicing this principal object ol planning for ifie intei national congress, this committee shall study also the in.. ll * s. wherein they immediately can bring about a better compensation fur ani- ' nulls il.aii the packing b* uses at" not paying." j QUOTES enaaipi.es. In presenting his proji'et to tic I Hmis P of Retire,"idatives. Deputy Vi--1a,,,,., ~-minded the legislators that in ' I,Otb Frame and Italy great attention j Iris I,ecu paid t" this gucstimi. ”.Yr.rcnlina lias devoted nun h attention to Hie problem presented by Hu* puckers’ I trust." the Deputy said, "and has tried I to solve the problem by employing B'f ! tljs ilefenee of livestock tin' same moJ ifinds employed for cereals. But Hi. I problem is not the same. Argentine I cereals have no competition m South \ AI while Argentine limit lias I competition from Brazil, whciv t' ll 111 i dosiry is now. but is developing under | splendid conditions ; frmn « i ugn.i> . I and even frmn Paraguay. This emn- | petition might at any moment |.hu" • (ho Argentine producers and eattl'- * raisers in a difficult situation. Recent 1 tefi* r rapin* new s from Hu* T nited ' St .,res regarding the anti trust legislation against, the packers there brings lmiiii* to us again Urn necessity ol umti„„ to control this trust before u

tmls us to a .-xto.U t.,a» alrttitlv .I.M-s, \W must tak" i„ ,n.sliint£ 111" niuvi’iiifiil for '^ |Ul '- i,u-:it-l>r«-»l<l"'n'K .uuntnus of t-oulli Am"i'ii ;i : as this union v. ,11 ivsnlt in ,!„■ ~.a ) .cononii"al imU-punilonc" ol

these nil!lit i n’s, In discussing Uu- whom. <«> n—iiu’ii. Deputy Viannn wild: ‘•Tlu> pr.ijeet provides fin' nil moot bet ween Argenlina, Urn/.il. 1 amiin.iv, nn.i r. ii-i.ii.v v.n.’.vby iii.’ i ,,u v_ iug* Imusos of these muni rms ” operated for t»ii- ul ° . r ' l i sp ,« ~f those eountrtos. Mo »M>‘’ to ,dl',’i- i.i.’i.t at prices to consumers in our own count nos, mid n the same time increase tin’ prolm tlio entile raisers. MORE PROOCCTION.

“This scheme also would result - ■"> increase of production according to the caoacitv of each country. “ the production being severely limited „„1 apportioned among the producing countries, as is now done by the packj u■, trust. Half a million i-altle die iu”Urug„ay every year because ~l ne.ng exposed to epidemics, to droughts, and t severe winters, after the commercial ! policy of Hie packing trust lias eft : them on tin* fnrnuW insu-no of j Slaughtering them. The packing tnt-l ! inually keeps down South American ' production in order to keep up l'™« I in coiisiiming centres by pleading lac ! „f supply I propose that the mamigei incut of the packing plants he put mto ! til,- hands of co-opera five directorates ! appointed !. v H"' fanners of the vnnmi,tries. and that the wind,. Smith \nielicau industry l>e nnder an international directorate winch would supervise the distribution of the dress,.,l in foreign markets. tins ! tcrnatiom.l directorate would he - 1 | used of delegates from the various mi--1 tional directorates.

I This campaign in favour ol expropri--1 at ion below the equator has met with 1 sincere approval among the masses in th,. Lnitcd States, but it is not believed any such niucli-to-bc-dc sired legislation' will he introduced in the States, where the meat barons have such a tremendous inlliiencc with the powers that he. All along the American meat trusts have innocently declared that they arc making hot small margins of profit, hut still the cattleraisers are howling cont inuously a hulll receiving hut the smallest possible . prices for Ummt stuff, und tin* pou]»!i' 1 are sick of “passing the- buck,” as this action is rightly termed by the American public which stll lias to pay hint, prices for canned meat from the Uliicagu and other stockyard packers centres.