The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7th, 1921. MEETING THE STRIKE MENACE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7th, 1921. MEETING THE STRIKE MENACE

Tiik retirement of the Hon A. M. Myers from the political arena is being generally regretted. Mr Myers immediate cause for resigning is the state of his health, which precludes his attendance at Parliament, but ho is going Home shortly to take up an important hanking post. As he was absent in Knglanil last session he does not fed justified in further disfranchising his constituency, lie was elected for Auckland F.nst in 1010, and been mo a member of the short-lived MacKcnzie Ministry in 101:?, and was a responsible member of the Coalition Ministry during the war period. Mr Myers lias always been one of the foremost citizens of Auckland a,ml has done much to promote the welfare of that great city, fn the political field Mr Myers without

being a, bitter partisan was always a supported of the Liberal cause. He was a conspicuous figure in the MneKonzio Ministry, and did valuable financial work in the Coalition government. His retirement at this juncture is a loss to the country certainly it is to tlio Liberal party. Had he lieen able to take bis seat just, now liis advice would have been of service to Parliament-, for be lias a close grip on the finances, and was an apt pupil of Sir Joseph Ward’s, who is particularly mis_ sed at the moment. Afy M.vors is go-

ing to take up an important banking post at Monte which indicates how well grounded is his financial knowledge. In the political arena, Mr Myers was more of a worker than a fighter, a most, useful quality indeed, and his loss just now is of a. national character, seeing that finance constitutes our chief troubles, and the best advice ioquire to be offered to the Government by those qualified to offer it. | ..Silt Thomas Mackenzie, who was in England on a holiday recently, was interviewed by tile “Afoot Trades’ Journal" and in this the former High Commissioner for New Zealand gives an amount of what happened during tho war. and i.n it he discusses how to counter the attempts being made by America to obtain tin* monopoly in

meat. Sir Thomas says:—“The remedy, is largely in the hands of the meat trade ,and if the British trader appreciates the plea, of his brother in the Dominions and gives his produce a. fair . trial, the. latter will n»t fear the icsult. F do appeal to the trade, and for the trade to he supported by the coil- . sinning public,, in concentrating on meat produced by their own people overseas, which is of tlio highest quality which reaches this market; meat, which, when all meat arrived on a, free ; market and was sold on its intrinsic value, held premier position, and the quality of which has ill no way deter- J iorated since the war. The Dominions are concentrating their purchases in the Old Country. New Zealand is about to launch forth into public works schemes that will require two million pounds worth of machinery, J and New Zealand is giving the whole of | its orders to the British manufacturer, not entertaining for one single moment competitive prices from foreign coun-

tries. It is, therefore, only appealing for mutual trading. It is the same with Australia, I hardly think it can bo recognised hero how much this country depends for its prosperity on the purchases of the Dominion, nor how essential prosperity in the Dominions is to the .Mother Country. I realised about two years ago that there would

be no meat famine, and confidently brought before those in authority toe proposal of lowering prices with a view to effecting a clearance of their congested stocks, and although they did meet me in many ways yet the reductions were not sufficiently generous to effect the clearance that might have

lu'l'll offeoted. The result, ns fur ns tlis Government stocks nro (concerned, being tlmt it will be October before tlie mutton :uul lamb will be cleared which was killed prior to the end of June 11)20. and quite the end of 1021 before the beef is elearud which was killed before the end of October, 1920.” Finally Sir Thomas made special reference to bis appeal that this question should be studied bv the meat trader and consumer of Great Tlritain on its merits and llritish interests, and that the new stocks of freshly arrived New Zealand and Australian meat (beef especially) should receive a fair trial and not suffer from disabilities suffered durbu :• abnormal period.