MEAT PRODUCERS BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1930, Page 7

MEAT PRODUCERS BOARD

MEETING OF DELEGATES.

MANY ASPECTS OF TRADE DISCUSSED. . WELLINGTON, August 28. The annual meeting of delegates, comprising the electoral committee of the' ,New . Zealand Meat Producers Board, was held to-day, Mr D. .Jontis, JVLPi,: presiding. The; adopitcn of the annual report V and balance-sheet was moved by the chairman and seconded by Mr J. H. .Toll (Havelock North), who said that unless the board was careful, farmers Would- nbt maintain their present iate of '"output. They felt that, if they were asked to exert themselves and produce/more and more, they were ■urely entitled to a little more for thbir products. './Rriferring/to the American tariff, Mr' Joll paid that he would lijie to have •an expression of opinion from the. board as to whether New Zealand should 'not retaliate to a greater extent;, than; at present. Mr E. R. Black (Gisborne) /raised the question of whether the board •hould riot’ consider exercising greater ciM in regard to grading at freezing works. The / chairman . said it had been found that the freezing works invaristandard set, It was not considered that the number of. officers ehould’ he increased. While he/ ‘was . Abroad he did not find one meat man who took exception to the grading. The board had the matter of mis-shapen carcasses under consid-eration-and intended to tighten up restrictions. /Mr R. M. Morten (Tai Tapu) said that he /was informed that the supervision of Unloading of,New Zealand meat • pt Hpmei last year was very unsatisfactory.. -Some English firms wore so dissatisfied / with ; the supervision that they J employed; thefr.' own men. ■; . Mr .that /he/ found :at Home* fhat; the ’companie«; : met any complai nts:/very / fairly; = They : w ere doing theiri w/prk exceedingly f'well. / .Mr Trotter (Fairlie) suggested / that something migbt be done to-light-en the 'ocist in - New Zealand/ to • -the producer. \ ' "/Mr -L.y. R. C. Macf .. deri); said /that next year there would. be - a million arid a. half more lambs to sell/ yTb© result would be that an endeavour would be made, to get sec-ond-quality lambs away. ' Farmers, had spent tremendous sums in getting extra production, and the chances were that*//some of the farms would 1 go back. /;.Iri addition, there was a lot mope'disease than ever before, rtsttfetibng would be; necessary i next year regarding the exporting of Jairibs.' '•■'/:"v' f Mr J. ///B«gg (Dunedin) thought that increased production was a mat. i

ter for congratulations. There might be - casefe ofi over-stocking blit they were not general. Mr G.. A. M. Macdonald (Orari) referred to the handling of stock by the Railway Department, and suggested that representations should be made to have greater car© exercised.

The chairman said the matter would be taken up with th- Department. On the question of over-production, he said he would not like it to go from the meeting that increased production was not going to pay. He held file view that there was room for a great deal more production. In regard to the question of bulk purchase, Mr Jones said that there were very grave possibilities about the system, .which would have to be very carefully watched, before New Zealand agreed to it. The opinion was expressed by Mr A. V. S. Reed (Napier) that the producers 1 had not received the assistance they were entitled to from the present Government or any previous Government, to bring down costs of shipping meat and wool.

The question was asked whether the board had endeavoured to open up trade with such countries as Japan.

The : main was freight, said Mr Jones, . Australia was in a much better position to supply Japan than was New Zealand.' Another aspect was that Manchuria had a considerable number of sheep, It was ■impossible "to compete with that country. So far as the East was concerned, there were no shipping services which would be of value. The motion was carried.

The retiring members, Mr T. A. Duncan (Hunterville) and Mr Adam Hamilton (Invercargill) were re.eleotos producers' representatives op the board,

There were three nominations for two vacancies, the other nomine© being Mr J, A. Coop, of Littl© River, Canterbury.