OUR COMMERCIAL INTERESTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 9

OUR COMMERCIAL INTERESTS.

THE FROZEN MEAT MARKET. SPEECH BY THE HON. T. MACKENZIE. WELLINGTON, August 3. Addressmg the Agricultural Conference to-day, the Hon. T. Mackenzie (Minister of Agriculture) declared that he would devote himself with a singleness of purpose to promoting the agricultural interests of this country — (applause), — and, at the end of two years, when the conference met again, he hoped his selection as Minister of Agriculture would be justified. In the matter of seed experiments, he thought the conferenixj was on right lines, but he hoped it would get down to details. Some seed merchants charge double the price seed was worth, knowing that the farmers were prepared to pay for a " good " article. Referring to the fall in the price of frozen meat, he said he was of opinion that something more than a mere fluctuation of values was at work. Whilst the American Trust did not dominate the Smithfield market, it was shown that its influence certainly extended to the provinces. His own impression was that the present condition of things could be largely attributed to the' lack of employment and the depression at Home. If they took the quantity of meat available for consumption at Home 10 years ago and that available to-day and compared it with the population of 10 years ago and ih&i of to-day it would be seen that the quantity of meat had actually decreased, while the population had greatly increased. This showed that causes other than the operation of a meat trust must be at work. Lack of employment for the British workman was one, and another cause was the system of sales. Claims were made for insurance and for "poor quality " on meat, and unjust amounts were frequently awarded on really sound meat. Meat was then sold at Smithfield for lower prices than the more honourable tradesmen could afford to sell it at, for all this tended to reduce prices. Everyone knew that one of the most dreaded diseases' was cancer. Lately an attempt had been made to do something of a more scandalous nature. The spread of cancer had been associated with the consumption of frozen meat. Mr Mackenzie held up before the delegates a poster which had reached him from Home containing the following words in glaring type: "Cancer; frozen meat; public warning." The poster contained an alleged opinion by a medical man that the consumption of frozen meat was responsible for cancer. A newspaper published at Home contained similar statements. " Some of our agenfs," said Mr Mackenzie, " got on the track of this thing, and got a statement from the medical man whose name appeared in the poster that he had never been guilty of giving such an opinion. It is thought that there may have been a move on the part of the chilled meat people of the United States of America. I think it is a most scandalous thing that a prejudice of this kind should be created in the public mind." This, however, was not a new thing. When he was at Home a • similar allegation had been made by a member of the House of Commons. He wrote a letter protesting against the statement, and showed that the nutriment of frozen meat was equal to that of the Home-killed article, if not greater. Mr Mackenzie then passed on to the suggestion that £5000 should be spent by the Government ir advertising frozen meat at Home. He explained what the I Government had already done and was doing to make New Zealand meat and its quality known at Home. In his opinion the mere advertising of New Zealand produce at this stage would not m«et the difference that existed at present between the supply and the demand. Recently he had communicated with the companies to see if it would not be possible to arrange a conference and decide upon a plan to meet the exigencies of the case. He had to thank many of them for their prompt replies. The answers he had received he gave the delegates in tabloid form. On the whole, the general opinion was that it was absolutely essential that the meat in store in London and afloat and in store in New Zealand should be cleared this season; otherwise it would come into competition with next season's trade. They considered that the best policy was to sacrifice (if necessary) the present stocks, and so prevent the new season's shipment glutting the market. With those views he agreed. Large questions, said Mr Mackenzie, were looming ahead. They had reached a stage in the history of the Empire when some of the greatest problems of modern times would have to be dealt with. Trade and commerce were largely the basis of our national life, and the Defence Conference would have to be followed by a conference designed to consider ways

and means for increasing the productive- j ness of the land so that Britain would be able to retain her people. He spoke of the millions oS peopl» -wlio tad le.it England for the United States, and declared that her© we would have to fill , up our vacant places and increase the productiveness of the land, co that we would be able to hold fast to the country in case of possible developments. There should be an' increase in agricultural education. They should -collect some of the ablest teachers in the country, and send them to some of the most uD-to-date agricultural colleges in the world, so that when they ueturned they would be in a position to train the teachers here.. "We want," he continued, " closer settlement of our lands. There will, no doubt, be increased burdens if the pnesen* rate of public expenditure as continued. We hope that reasonable people will cease clamouring for railways that will only pay i per cent, on the cost of construction. — (' Hear, hear.') Men clamour for these things, and then turn round and upbraid the Government for increasing the expenditure." Then there was the question of traffic. That also would require to be considered by a conference such as he had referred to. The bearing of rebates on tariffs would also have to be taker into account. At present the value of money concessions was almost nullified by the operation of rebates. Mr Mackenzie also referred to the cry, "The right to work." It was all very ■mell, but the ricrht to work had. to be nuet by the capacity to earn money. It was a* fact that a number of people in this country were inquiring for and that there was a #reat cteal of wcrrk to be done, and yet nothing was done to bring the two elements together. ' Tbis was anothpr problem which -they had to face — i.e., doing something— to make these men efficient in mirsuits in which their labour was reached, and would be remunerative. He declared that industries in this country were closing down for lack of labour.