THE PRODUCERS' INTERESTS.

Shannon News, 17 February 1925, Page 4

THE PRODUCERS' INTERESTS.

The Meat Board has made a contract with the shipping companies for the carriage of meat to Great Britain on the understanding that it will give the companies three months' notice of the quantity of space that will be required each month. The companies already have received notice of the quantity of meat the Board intends to ship in January, February a"ad March, and before the end of the current month they will receive notice of the amount of space required in April. The companies,, on theii part, knowing what is required of them, bring to New Zealand just enough refrigerated space each month to carry the quantity of meat the Board has indicated and make up their loading with other cargo. Under this arrangement the companies are assured of regular loadings, which mean the saving of time and money, a*ad the producers, through the Board, of lower freights and a stable market. Having fixed the quantity of meat it is desirable to ship in any particular month, and having advised the shipping companies accordingly, the Board invites applications from the various freezing companies for space. The total applications generally exceed the quantity of meat the Board has arranged to ship, and in that case the space is distributed between the factories on a pro rata basis. This means of distribution has been found to work satisfactorily, the freezing companies and the producers realising that the Board is working in their interest facilitating any adjustment that may be necessary.

Although the Meat Board has not thought it desirable to assume the drastic.control the Dairy Board is said to be contemplating, there are many functions, in addition to the arrangement of shipping, it discharges with marked advantage to the producers and their industry. Its representatives in London supply reliable market'reports; it advertises widely a"nd effectively the merits of New Zealand meat and maintains a constant and judicious propaganda in its favour; it inspects the meat at the port of shipment and at the port of discharge; if sees that it is properly handled and treated and placed on the market on the best possible conditions, and it keeps the producers of the Dominion informed as to what the producers in other parts of the world are doing. It is significant that with all these achievements to its credit it has not interfered with the actual buying and selling of the meat in any way. It simply has introduced the spirit of cooperation and mutual help into the meat trade and left private enterprise in charge of the part of the business for which it seems best adapted. If the Dairy Board elects to follow the more extreme course its experience trepidation. The problems before the Dairy Board, in their essentials, are the problems the Meat Board has gone a long way towards solving, and will be watched with considerable in the circumstances it looks as if the younger body would be better advised to imitate than to initiate.