MONOPOLIES AND TRUSTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 673, 30 May 1914, Page 5

MONOPOLIES AND TRUSTS.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S OPINION. [BY TELEGBAPH. —PBESS ASSOCIATION.'] Picton, Thursday. Speaking to a large gathering hera on Tuesday evening, Sir Joseph Ward said he was opposed to any trust or monopoly that affected the fooJ supplies of the country. He was against anything in the shapj of a meat trust, whether by Americans or anybody else No exception could, be taken to free competition for the purchase of meat or any other produce by anv people, either within the Dominion or beyond. Fiee and open competition was the life of trade, and it was in the interests of the settlers of the Dominion that no disability should be put in the way of free and open competition for the purchase of sheep or any other form of produce. If any attempt were made by Americans or others to monopolise or try to monopolise the meat trade of this country by securing frozen meat workß or by driving out of compettiion any of the existing frozen meat works, then it would clearly be the duty of the State to exercise all the powers possible to prevent or anything of the kind bang done and he would give his active assistance to this end.