THE MEAT POOL.

Otaki Mail, 9 January 1922, Page 2

THE MEAT POOL.

COMMENTS ON THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS. INTEREST IN COMING CONFERENCE. PRODUCERS AND EXPORTERS. The proposed meat pool is causing a good deal of comment, favourable and otherwise, throughout the Dominion, and interest in to-morrow's conference is growing daily. Many meetings have been held, and the details discussed at considerblo length. Various resolutions are being passed and some important views expressed by Ministers, representatives of the farmers; the freezing companies, and others interested. Bolow will be found an official statement made by the Hon. W. Nosworthy (Minister for Agriculture). Interesting opinions have been given by representative men to "Times" Ceporters. Mr C. A. de Lautour (chairman of the Gisborno Sheepfarmors' Frozen Meat . Co.), who presided at the recent con- ( ference at which it was agreed that sho scheme was "so wholly lacking in , considered detail that it cannot be approved," made an important statement. . to a "Times" representative last , night. He stated, in effect, that tho pioposed meat pool "would not meet j the immediate necessities of the New , Zealand farmers." MEAT POOL SUPPORTED. 131' HOROWHENUA PRODUCERS. A meeting of producers was held in Levin last week at .the request of the Minister of Agricultara for the purpose of appointing a delegate to attend the conference at \Vel- - lingtou on Tuesday next hi connection with the proposed meat pool. Mr £}„ " Tully, president of the local branch of. ■ the Farmers' Union, presided over a f fair attendance, among whom was Mr - W. ft. Field, M.P. s 'Hie chairman briefly explained tho ■ reason the meeting had been called. ; He considered the question of meat dlsi posal was a serious one, and the pro- , ducers of the district should send . down a delegate to the conference to i see .what was proposed to ho done. , There was some diversity of opinion , about the meat pool question, but per- . sonaily he agreed with .the suggestion. Ho considered that the farmers should take a greater interest in a matter such as this, and instanced the apathy, shown at the Palmerston meeting, when only 12 were present, and me meeting that afternoon was little better. MR FIELD SUPPORTS SCHEME. Mr Field said tie was there as a producer like the rest of those present. . The meal pool was no new thing, hc- . cause something like M years ago tie ' was one who suggested Government , control of the meat business, as Hie . middlemen, in bis opinion, were get- , ting an. undue share of the profits, in the past, so long as the farmer could get along,- he didn't trouble tnuch, but the time had come when they must do something. They could either continue and go to the wall, i r ' they must get. Government assistance 1 to help them out of their difficulties. Mr Field otated that lor some weeks ' past the Reform members of the : Hou.vj had been holding caucus meetings to go into the meat question, and had brought down certain proposals. The proposals were iiow before the country, and consisted of Government co-operation and financial assistance. The bunks had agreed to finance the scheme produced, 'lhe Government stood behind it, and tins the Goverjumeut was willing to do. The consideration of the scheme would be the business at the forthcoming conference, and the meeting i that day should elect its delegate to ati tend tlie conference. Mr Field then • read the Prime Minister's statement on . the proposal, which had appeared in i lhe public press, and added that the . details had not been worked out, but i that was only a question of time. He . stated that the producers of this coun- . try would have control o ftbe whole techeme, and it was satisfactory to , Jmow that the Manchester commercial interests favoured the proposal, and Manchester was one of the principal centres of meat consumption. It may be found that thfc adversity that trad ';ome over the country would prove a benefit in ih# end. One ol the drawbacks in England just now was that the cool stores weie taken up by American trusts, and it might be necessary tde the New Zealand producers lo erect their own cool stores, which would mean a considerable financial undertaking. One thing was certain—the producers would have U> stand together, and the pool be compulsory, so that every carcase would he marketed through the pool. Mr Field -said for years tlie middlemen had been nibbling at the farmers' profits, hut now they were taking bites. A lew years hack the farmer was getting 80 per cent ol the returns from his mutton, but now he was only getting 46, and it was high time he made a move to look alter his own interests. There was no question that lor tlie quality ol its lamb, New Zealand had no equal in the world, and everything should he done to encourage the industry, Mr Field predicting thai this class ol sheep would prove a greater asset than wethers had been, and replace them altogether. As regards heel, he- had to admit that we were beaten by south America, which was producing a really good article. Coming to the question as to who was going to run the pool scheme, he thought one good man should be appointed in New Zealand and another in England, hut they must he thoroughly dependable. If they got suitable, men, it would be a big step towards success. If success did come their way it was possible that butter and other produce would be handled in the same manner in the future, so that the scheme may develop into something greater thaC Oiey had any conception of at present, ge th'ught th? Impuritf GorenißWnl

should give some assistance to the proposal, as there was no doubt that the present position was largely brought about by the action of the Home Government in allowing stocks of wool, meat, etc., to accumulate. Mr Field concluded by saying be was strongly in favour of the scheme, and he hoped that the producers of the country would give it that support that would make it possible of realisation. (Hear, hear.) Mr O. P. Lynch said the scheme was only another instance of the co-opera-tion that had been advocated by Mr Poison for months past. Mr Lynch saiU the only difference between Mr Poison's co-operation ana the present pool scheme was the former was voluntary whilst the latter was compulsory, but it might be that after the pool system was successfully launched, the Government may hand it over in full working order to the farmers to carry on. Mr Lynch referred to the remark made by Mr Field regarding the cool Mures being occupied by American and other interests. This only showed what the New Zealand producer was up against and the necessity of taking some action. Mr Lynch said they could certainly do no harm by sending a delegate to the conference and giving the pool a fair go. He asked was it the intention to send one delegate each from the Farmers' Union and A. and P. Association. The chairman said he did not think .that was necessary.

EVERY PRODUCER MUST ASSISI. Mr A. McLeavey touched on the point that if the scheme failed and they were forced to go back, to present ways of

marketing, they might be worse off than they were now. If the scheme was going to go on the producers would have to get behind it and made

it a success. The chairman said that Mr Field bad remarked that the banks were behind the scheme. He asked if one particular bank was to handle the whole business. if so, he did not think it fair. Mr Field replied that it was not correct to say that one particular bank would control the whole of the financing. GOOD MARKETING ESSENTIAL. MrAV. G. Adkin regarded the scheme as the first step in a. big co-operative movement for the disposal of theiaproduce, and for that reason he was in favour of it. The big proposition Sefore them to-day was marketing, and aext in importance were banking, shipping and freight charges, but marketing was their principal problem. He did not agree with Mr Field that this country would be used for fat lamb raising to the detriment of other classes of sheep. They could not do without wethers, as where were they to get their wool from? In any case, their lamb-export business amounted to little over £4,000,000 per year, which would not pay the interest on the national debt. They could not use all their sheep country for fattening purposes, as the high country could only he used lor stores. Mr Field explained that he meant .that the fat lamb trade would develop and become a much bigger invdustry than it was, owing to the -suitability of this country for raising iambs. Of course, other classes of sheep would of'necessity be bred.

The chairman stated that he believed that a petition was being circulated in the South Island against the proposal. He considered that members, .whether they were against the pool or not, should not sign petitions. (Hear, hear.) MR LYNCH APPOINTED DELEGATE. It was unanimously resolved that Mr Lynch he elected delegate to attend the conference on Tuesday next, and in returning thanks for his election, he said he would do his best to represent the interests of the producers of the coast. A motion by the chairman supporting the proposal was carried, which .concluded the meeting. 'PUBLISHED BY ARRANGEMENT." THE OPPOSITION TO MEAT POOL. At the meeting of Horowhenua producers in Levin yesterday in connectin with the proposed meat pool, Mr O. P. Lynch, of Paraparaumu, said en the trip up to Levin that morning he had noticed in one of the city morning papers an article written in opposition to the meat pool, and marked, "Pubiished by arrangement." A voice; It is paid for. Mr Lynch: Who are the people who pay for juY&->|s3<fc maintained that the interest? publication of intones who would be the meat pool, and were begtrffimg to show themtheir hands already. They were afraid the farmers would get behind the ex-~ ploitmg that had been going on and take away their bread and butter. Mr W. H. Field, M.P., said the "published by arrangement" campaign looked like the operation of a trust. They could see they were going to be affected, and this was just what the farmers were out to fight. It was plain these people were going to spend some money, and they were one of the big things the froducers had to fight jn the, marketing of their produce.