WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1927, Page 1

WELLINGTON NEWS

THE IMG INDUSTRY

(Special to " Guardian ”.)

WELLINGTON. Nov. 28. Nothing ninth lias been heard ol the pig industry in recent weeks. The Association set out to obtain a subsidy from the Government, or a guarantee as to minimum export prices, and the " Paterson plan ”, it was suggested, should he instituted as a means ol helping to develop the industry. Nothing has been heard of the matter since because probably the farmers are too busy iust now to give thought to grievances. Correspondents of the newspapers have, however, not neglected the matter and several letters on the subject have appeared in the Wellington papers. One writer advised breeders to rear pigs up to 801hs weight for bacon curing purposes, hut another writer sarcastically remarks that English people do not want "brown paper” for breakfast for that would he the appenrnnoc of same.

It was suggested that the producers should establish a Dominion factory in England, and it was added "there is no reason whv they should not get id per lb or more for their bacon. This would he better than Id per lb they were now asking the Government to guarantee.” It is pointed out by another correspondent that cuffing the pigs up into tin* usual two sides and two hams would make the cost .somewhere about 7d per lh, assuming that the pork was worth the 5d a lh proposed. In addition, there is the cost of killing, freezing, bagging, shipping, insurance, etc., and there also is the curing. The Meat Board has boosted the large white pig, hut an authority advisers tin l producers to slick to the Berkshire-Tam worth cross, or Berk-shire-Yorkshire cross, and contends that New Zealand can never compete with the American, Irish, Dutch. Danish, and home-fed pigs in England. Rigs can he killed in Holland or Denmark one day and lauded in London the next day. New Zealand cannot compete with this. American hams and bacon can lie bought at times at the price factories pay for pigs in New Zealand. This correspondent says that pork is only in season for four months in the year, from September to December, and to market pork at other times is to court loss.

There is only one way to attack the English markets. Sentiment is entirely absent. The only factors are quality and price—the best quality at the lowest price wins, and New Zealand can never supply quality products cheap. IT porkers weighing up to 100lbs are exported so as to reach the market at the right time, and the best prices offering are accepted, the surplus pigs of the Dominion may thus he cleared, but in the main the producers must depend on tlie local market. More pig products would be consumed in New Zealand if the prices were in reach of the masses.

WOOL TRADE DISRUTE. The dispute in the Bradford wool trade lias evidently taken an ugly turn to merit attention in the House ol Commons. Towards the end ol September the employers notified the workers that the agreement entered into in 1921 would not he renewed on its expiry at the end ol November. This long notice was given so that 11 lore* should be ample time for negotiations. The last agreement was not concluded until after a lengthy and costly strike. In giving notice of termination of the agreement it was pointed out that since 1920, 194 firms had gone out of business, involving the closing down of 1(50,000 spindles, 8,190 looms, and corresponding quantities of carding, spinning, and finishing machinery. It was further pointed out that wool and wages In the industry had increased 100 per cent, and overhead charges

131) per cent, while Continental wages were only half those of British workers. The grounds on which the employers make their demands for a reduction of overhead charges are that the raw material is dear whilst the competition of other countries, particularly Germany, in fully manufactured goods is very keen. Germany can undersell Bradford oven in British markets, despite the efficiency of plants, and the ceaseless search for markets and tho endless variety of products and style. If the negotiations fail and a strike follows, the raw material may he affected, for consumption would he curtailed.