WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1924, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

PROPOSED .MEAT MERGER. (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON May 14. Representatives of the freezing companies are to meet in Wellington on Ftiday May 16, to consider the question ol a meat merger. At tho meeting held hero last month the scheme suggested was that all the meat freezing companies in the Dominion should be amalgamated and the control pass to the producers. Tho scheme in its rough state was submitted to the directors of the proprietary concerns, and at the meeting on Friday this matter will he discussed. The whole matter may fie said to be nebulous and tbo screech of the “Farmers’ Weekly” that “information is being dolilierately held hack” is just so much balderdash. It may be said with certainty that the scheme suggested has not the slightest hope of being accepted. It is crude ami unworkable, and if the control and managcmoi.t is io pass into Hie hands of, farmers, some people here, believe that the industry would soon lie extinct. It is to tho want of foresight- and of business ability oil the part of uie farmers that the industry is today in a parlous condition. Works were planted in localities unable to provide adequate stock, or in localities so remote from port of shipment as to make tile costs excessive; and there has boon the further element of inadequate capital. The simple fact is that the farmers themselves have created an impossible position by strewing the North Island with unwanted freezing plants and machinery, and tho remedy lies in eliminating the number of works.

FALL IN VALUES INEVITABLE. The steady fall in the values of beef, mutton and lamb is inevitable. The downward movement began some time ago, and in their endeavours to maintain values, some farmers sought to saddle the monopolists with the crime of exploitation, and the result of their agitation was the Meat Producers’ Board. This Board makes a good dc of noise, and is very careful to take the utmost credit for every little thing it does, but it lias failed to stem the downward tendency of values, for the simple reason that it lias no power to do so. although it exist- by virtue of an Act nf the New Zealand Parliament. ‘‘Wlnni w»* roiiii* to consider Hod products we must realise that there is really one free and open market for all the world, and that market is Britain,” remarked a gentleman closely associated with the export produce business. “Every country with any surplus foodstuffs to expott dumps them down in Britain, and Britain is quite willing to be made the dumping ground for food products, because it is essential to her welfare as an industrial nation that living should be cheap. Britain simply cannot go on as at- present for other nations with longer working hours, lower wages rnd demoralised exchanges, can beat her in the world’s markets.” This authority pointed out that in 1914 and the years prior to that prices were very low. For instance in the middle of May 1914, Canterbury mutton, medium weight was quoted at -lid, while the quotation now is 7Jd. North Island mutton in 1.014 was quoted at 3Jd and it is now ruling at. 7d. Light weight Canterbury lamb was quoted at Old ill 1914, and it- is now quoted at 10|d and North Island lamb, which now rules at 10Jd, was in 1914 worth only 5 13-16(1.

POSITION .MUST BE FACED. Taking a long view of the situation it seems that it will be impossible io check the downward tendency of values and this applies equally to butter and clice.se and other food products. Temporary expedients may prolong the period of declining prices, hut cannot change flic ultimate result. Foodstuffs are pouring into Britain from every source of supply and this volume of foodstuffs cannot lie absorbed at present prices. Britain will soon lie over slocked with certain classes of food products, and the prices of those products must be greatly reduced to stimulate consumption. Wo see tbis o]orating now in respect of olieosc. Tgi.st year Now Zealand <.hcc.se was selling at 140 s and over; to-day it is quoted at 84s. ii lien cheese was at 95s sonic factories declined to sell, others declined to sell when it dropped to 90s, but presently they will be glad to take what they call get. 11l May 1914 New Zealand ciioese was quoted at GOs and Oils, and in May 1912 it ranged from 70s to 71. It is now not very much above pre-war level. The most eminent economists have warned us that we have entered upon an era of falling prices. and while it is quite right from the producers’ point of view to endeavour to pro long the period, of the fall, opportunities' should not he neglected for readjusting and reducing the costs <>! production. That would he ln,l< 1 more sensible that indulging m silly f.ilininatio.is against so-called monopolist c . is Avj£«.*ntine ;oul not the monoplists who is cutting into the British meat trade.

WEDDING HOAX. LONDON, March 11. A number of Dover tradesmen were victims of the bogus-order hoax on Saturday and yesterday. At one residence in Guildford-lawii a number of lorries each with a ton of coal which the occupant bad not ordered arrived from different merchants : three separate sets of wedding carrittges—three on each occasion—arrived "within an hour, and carters turned up with large supplies of provisions. FRANCE’S BIRTH-RATE. Va auonvmous adovocuto of the police being pursued for remedying the continued fall i" t* lo population of France has made u gift of 25.090 francs which has been accepted hv the nuuucipal authorities of Bordeaux, for the construction of a dwelling-house, w ut ' is to he let to a young newly-married couple under distinctly original conditions. states the Puhis correspondent of the “London Morning Post.” Hie couple must each he 25 years.of age, and without private means. ine> must undertake, on being accepted as tenants of the house, to become parents of one child, within three years, two within six years, three within lime vears and four within twelve years, under penalty of ejectment from the hotis:- in ease of non-fulfilment of the contiael. , They will be asked to pay only twothirds' of the fixed rental of the house from the commencement of their tenancy, which sum will bo reduced by 10 per cent, on the birth of each child, with the proviso that it shall never he le<s than 10 francs per month, lbe rent of the house will be increased by 10 per cent, as and when each elnld attains its l?th year. The municipal council, m accepting the gift, has agreed to set aside 250 square metres of round belonging to it ns’a site for the.house in question.