WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 May 1924, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

AN EARLY SESSION. (Special to "Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, April 30,

Tlw executive of the A.S.ILS. apparently manoeuvred to call off .the strike and they have succeeded very well. The railwaymen did not receive the support they anticipated, for the Alliance of Labour found it practically impossible to involve the transport workers. There were rumours at one stage of "the strike of calling out the watersiders and train. waynten, but any suggestions made in this connection were received very coldly. The workers generally seem less anxious now to make use of the strike weapon, and rather show a disposition to use constitutional methods to nchievo their purpose. There is an idea prevalent here that Parliament may be called in session earlier than was originally intended. At all events it is significant that the Speaker, Air C. E. Stathr.m. reached Wellington oil Tuesday, having been specially summoned, it is alleged, to Wellington. There is undoubtedly considerable unrest in the Government departments, and Mr Massey may prefer to have the whole matter considerd by Parliament.

FREEZNG COMPANIES’ AFFAIRS.

A fortnight or so ago a meeting of representatives of freezing companies was hold in Wellington to consider a scheme of amalgamating all the freezing companies, including the proprietary concerns, and the promoters requested that the matter should he considered by the proprietary oomnphies. Another meeting of the representatives is to he held in the course of about three weeks when the whole subject will lie reconsidered ill the light of the replies received from the proprietary companies. The crux of the whole matter is finance. ’I he shareholders of the private companies would no doubt lie willing in sell at a price, hut they would certainly require a guarantee of some .kind, especially if they were to accept debentures. Who is to give this guarantee, the hanks or the Government ! The hitter dare not do so for it would certainly affect the credit of the country on the London market, furthermore Mr Massey has already indicated his aversion to the nationalisation of any industry. The hanks are not likely to give any guarantee Unfreezing works have recently been pests to the banks who have, made heavy losses. Then again will not the proposed now system of management by Boards involve red tape and ail excessively costly administrative control ? The latter can lie seen in the workings of the Moat Board. All that this Board has done, or possibly can do, could have been accomplished by the Department of Agriculture for a fraction of the cost of the Meat Board. MUTTON AND LAMB.

In the 1922-23 season the prices of mutton and lamb were very disappointing and importers generally lost heavily. Tn the current season, prices have again been disappointing and further losses have been made, and ini the opinion of one connected with the industry there will be n further fall next season. llis opinions tire based on tho fact that owing to the high prices ruling for wool, ihc general tendency in all producing countries will he in the direction of increasing the flocks and steps have already been taken to give elfcct to this. With the increase in the flocks there will lie, necessarily, an expansion in the supply of mutton and lamb. Furthermore beef is in enormous supply and frozen and chilled beef i(institutes the cheapest food ir the English markets. The Board of Trade index figure of wholesale prices of all kinds of food during 1923. fluctuated between lot) and 810, and as frozen beef stood at 113 and chilled beef at 122 they were the cheapest articles of food procurable, in comparison with pre-war prices. Frozen hmih stoioil at 177 and frozen mutton at 173. Last year Britain’s imports of moat showed a remarkable expansion in shipments of chilled lieef from South America, tho imports of which amounted to 383,321 tons, an increase of 81.321 tons, or 28.2 per rent over the 1922 total. Chilled beef dominated the market anil will continue to do so to tho detriment of mutton and Jamb. BUTTER AND cheese.

];»• the simple poreoss of withholding supplies, the prices for Ne«’ Zealand butler and choose have Ik?oii foreod up in T.ondon and several people connected with the trade question the wisdom of tin's. Factory directors too often follow the lead hlimll.v and that is probably what has happened. There is apparently no shortage of supplies from this side of the equator, and in the course of a week or two European supplies will he coining on the market, and this pressing on Colonial aeeumulation.s, may cause a very serious setback. ft is difficult to get reennciled a lower ranee of values, hut the potHEoii will soon have to ho faced.