MEAT BOARD’S CLAIMS.

Shannon News, 5 September 1924, Page 1

MEAT BOARD’S CLAIMS.

In his speech at the-annual-meeting of the New Zealand Meat Producers* Board held in ‘Wellington on 2sth August, the acting chairman said: — “If the policy of the Board was" "carried out farmers would get a’’ “steady price, and the middleman” “would be eliminated to a much” “greater extent. Mutton and .iamb” “prices had been , much more even.” Apparently these remarks are to be taken as an expression of the opinion of the Board as a whole as they were not contradicted or commented on by the other members. It is evident there-, fore, that the Board are quite ignorant of the true position and the chairman’s remarks were only so much “eye wash” to please those credulous, readers who believe in the omnipotence of the Board and its power to control the markets of the , world. What are the facts? The Board have now been in control of the New Zealand frozen meat export business for three years, yet they have not eliminated one single : middleman, and to-day the middlemen handle . more meat than they did when the Board - started operations. The following Smithfield (London) prices for North Island mutton and lamb since the commencement of last season r show how ludicrous is .the claim • that "mutton and lamb prices have been much more even.” (The figures in each case are for first of each month from December 1923 to September 1924): —Cross-bred lambs (under 42) lOd, 9 7-Bd, 102 d, 101 d, 9id, 92d, IOJd, 10*d,-10 7-Bd, llid. Wethers (56/64), 7 5-Bd, 7*d, 8 l-Bd, Bd, 7Jd, 6|d 6 5-Bd, 6 5-Bd, 8 l-Bd, Bd, Ewes (under 64), 6Jd, 6id, 62d, 6Jd, 6d, 5 l-Bd, 5 3-Bd, 6d, 52d, 6*d. It will be noted that prices for lamb have violently fluctuated from 9Jd to Hid, wethers from 6id to 3 l-Bd, and ewes from 5 l-8d to 6Jd. In fact these fluctuations are worse than they were during all the years when meat was not under control. And yet the chairman says “prices have been much more even”! It is sincerely to be hoped that Mr “gesture” to the London speculators (as per cable to-day) will meet a better fate than the Meat Board’s policy.