“EAT MORE MEAT”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 857, 28 December 1929, Page 25

“EAT MORE MEAT”

POSSIBLE ENGLISH CAMPAIGN MEAT TRADERS’ MOVE “That the Executive Council be instructed to consider the advisability of instituting a special department to deal with advertising on a national scale with a view to increasing the consumption of meat generally and the coarser parts of the carcase particularly.” • This resolution was passed at a recent conferences of the National Federation of meat Traders in London. In some quarters it is interpreted as fore-shadowing a co-operative advertising campaign conducted on a great scale. A representative of “The Advertising News’’ (London) interviewed the secretary of the National Federation of Meat Traders, who explained that the great difficulty was to raise the necessary money to start the scheme. “Once we raise the money.” the secretary stated, “at least £50,000 and much better, if nearer £ 100,000, the rest would be comparatively easy. A conference of all parties concerned would be convened to consider the matter.

“The National Federation of Meat Traders is not by any means representative of the trade —even the retail end of it. We are the last link in the chain. Firstly, there are the big importers, such as the American combines and the Vestey group; secondly, there are the wholesalers; and, thirdly, the big co-operative movements, that do both wholesale and retail trade. “Therefore, ways and means have got to be found whereby everyone affected by a co-operative advertising scheme would contribute their fair quota. “The problem is particularly disconcerting in so far as it concerns the retail trade. The scojie and size of the businesses of individual members of this Federation vary considerably. How is one to decide how much each member should contribute? “The farmer, too, has to be considered. GETTING TOGETHER ‘“What is needed, and what probably will be cone at no distant date, Is a gathering together of representatives of the unions, of the farmers, the co-operative societies, and the importers. The meeting would decide whether and how to raise the money. “If an advertising campaign is definitely decided upon, the methods adopted would be both direct and indirect. We should use the slogan ‘Eat More Meat,’ and we should also educate the public Into the greater utilisation of different parts of the carcase—this would be best done by means of recipe books.” The interviewer asked the secretary whether differentiation between English and imported meat would be made in any advertising that might be done —whether the slogan “Eat More British Meat,” would make its bow to the public. The answer was “No.” “It would be quite impossible,” he said. “Only 25 per cent, of the meat sold in Smithlield is English. The average throughout the country is 50 per cent. English meat and 50 per cent, imported meat,”