NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 222, 29 September 1916, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

CONTRACTS:\VITH IMPERIALhi

ST/tTEMtNT BY'HiaH^COMMiiS-

;;;•■ j ' SIONER.

[PitBSB Associamon.jl ? ' (R:ecejveSiSenti^9/^3gi.nt^m^ ■ \\'\ :, v •■ -iONDON/^ept.-SB. v,-1 ; Sir Thohias Mackenzie, in an interyievy^y said sthat he did noti regret th^ nori-conelusiQn1:-of the^ Jc6htract.,;De-, twejen '"th^ Imperial andi New Zealand a- \Vr uiients '•* foi; the. puicha^ .off' cheese' on , tho f olio wing;; groitnda: ~ Firstly^ it was,. ■.^ unfa.ir .to..toriimand^er, 'tte' :^t^n6(^'rm-\ oiu?;? par'fe- >6f:^he.'jEfe^ •pico; ;*"Kilfe?.cofche^\';w^ro;; ,aHow*<|7t^i I xre&: r^^;'6S'i(th^/bp^.^^rkei'^attdv^9 } ■:betf%t: p^icos^' ■'mandeeririg f tended - to" destroy ptSa dp", coTihbctibns iWhich1 iwok- bi,"iild up, and dnierteil ti'ade to' 'Americans • -and-'pfthrtrsM ■ j.."Hr,\ Appai'ehtly spnie ;niisappreliension in: regard to meat existed in New Zealand. Iti was not clearly realised that when? meat was sold it became iWbsiy'ar.tte prnperty/:: The' committee ..of vbich he Vvas a member framed the .policy for the sale and' distribution of tht^ ..surplus i through.-. SmitHfield, ;in sucli ia'Avay 'as to secure dis't<ribution through i>re-?wnr channels and con- j serve as far as possible the previous ! connections. The committeei w'as,-n.Qt-;-! in a position to stipulate the selling: of meat on a standard grade, nor to; allow claims in respect to complaints ''t'hot-.it was not up to quality. In reference to speculation, Sir Thomas JVfack<?nzie pointed piiti that the Board of. Traded agents were al-" lowed 2 per cent, commission on sales to firms suppljung retailers, and were' only allowed a halfpenny per pound on prices paid to the Board of Trade. The agents, after searching investigation, failed-to. show 'any speculation, nor hiis the position of any member of the committee been used to the adA'antage of himself or others. While the Board of Trade fixed the wholesale prif-e of our meat British, Argentine, find other meats were not interfered with. ' : Tho retail prices were entirely uncontrolled, which operated to our disadvantage. Retailers were able to buy our meat at a comparatively lower rate. "They could afford to give a higher price for free meat- Thus the one. time ipfprior Argentine lamb realised 2£d per ib more than New Zealand. The only alternative was for the; New Zealand producer to make ur> hie mind to sell outright to the Home authorities and to accept tho subsequent fate of the meat, or send on consignments giving the-Board of Trri.do the. first option for army pur- * posrss. the. snrplus to be placed in the open market. In the la.iiter case there * was, tho possibility of- freight tronßfe. - Sir Tihqnin.s: Miaekenzie^ is endcavbring to ?eoiirn the abolition of the practice of deducting certain weights, «ucir .•is will lpp-oh a saving of .21bs per shu^ii and .'lib' por lamb. -