NEW ZEALAND MEAL

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 122, 4 March 1926, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND MEAL

BRITISH RETAIL PRICE TOO HIGH. “Something has got to done to see that consumers get New Zealand meat when they ask for it,” said. Mr R. G. Ellis, Conservative member for Wakefield (Yorkshire), when discussing the retail price of imported meat in England, with a reporter recently. “Considering the whole position there is no reason Why the retail price of New Zealand meat should not be less than it is. There is absolutely no control, and unless something is done in the near future, it is going to be difficult to get the working people to take much interest in Imperial preference. Obviously the most important part of control of the selling of New Zealand, meat would be to see that the price to ihe consumer was reasonable, compared with what the middleman is paid. The Food Council of the present British Government has taken the matter up, hut the trouble is that it has no statutory power to compel reasonable charges.”

Mr Ellis was of opinion that those interested in the export of New Zealand produce now had, an opportunity to devise some scheme, if possible, of control of the middleman so as to prevent excessive prices. This, to his mind, was the crux of the whole situation, and it would be useless to proceed further with propaganda urging the people to buy New Zealand meat unless some'such action was taken. Asked, as to the position of unemployment jn England, Mr Ellis said that .there were between 10,000 and 12,000 fewer unemployed this year than last, but the bulk of this was due to Jack of emigration. “And what is your opinion of the New Zealand scheme for assisting immigrants?” asked the reporter. “Your public schoolboy part of it is extraordinarily good,” said Mr Ellis, “and, X am told that there has not i been one case of failure recorded. Everything is being done in England to extend it, but the boys must be got voung enough. The idea of group settlement is good, provided several families from one locality could be induced to come out, and take up land in the same district. The system of bringing individuals does not work very satisfactorily, for the individual feels it very much when his habits of thought and ways of life are abruptly changed.”