The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1915. THE MEAT TRUST MENACE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 280, 25 August 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1915. THE MEAT TRUST MENACE.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post una Wakaarino News.)

The frozen meat industry is paramount in New Zealand, and anything that will injur e that will injure* every individual in the land, but pre-emin-ently those who are primarily engaged in meat growing. To allow the industry to become impaired, thrown out of well-established channels and usages, found to be most beneficial toproducers, and specifically by permitting the insinuating tentacles of the American meat octopus to secure a hold upon it, would indeed be disast--1 rous to everybody. To get within the clutches of the Chicago Swift and Armour combine, to bs under its domination would take away a good portion of the profits the farmer now enjoys; with a reduction of the profits off land there naturally follows a sympathetic reduction in th e value of the land itself. Therefore farmers have not only their earning capacity lessened, but their capital account is seriously cut into. How the encroachments of the American Meat Combine are regarded in Australia and in other parts of the world; what incalculable mischief and loss it has wrought and is at present causing th e meat-growing industry in South America, should convince our Government and those most closely

concerned that this is no scare question, but a real danger that is artfully, craftily, creeping in until the day shall com e when it is sufficiently established to practice its strangulating .methods. The Government has been urged to keep the meat trust taint well under observation, but a Government at times is so much absorbed in attend-

ing to its own preservation that subtly cunning encroachments of this kind do not readily force themselves upon their attention. It seems that if meatgrowers do not look after themselves they are ilikely to suffer considerably. It i s as well that they should grasp the fact now ..that preliminaries are well under weigh.in this Dominion that will eventually ma.k e . them the bondslaves of ,th« Trust end every possible pressure should be brought to bear on the Government this present session, to takp such steps as win re-

security. A cable from New York published in these columns a few days ago clearly indicated the ramifications lof this octopus. It reads: "The movement mean s that a world-wide interest under American management is in j sight." Australian files make it fairly (evident that the Trust has already got [a fair hold, and persistent rumours

are in pretty general circulation that its secret agents ar e operating in New Zealand, and that whatever mischief money and cunning can do in securing a footing, indicates just the nature of the opposition th e Trust should meet with from our Government. The agents of the Swifts and Armours only want a sure footing, then wi|ll follow the strangulation of meat companies and freezing companies that do not fall J into line with them. We urge our set-

tlers to take this question seriously, I and before the mischief is wrought. Let us not be gulled into believing and accepting the silvery-tongued promises of these Americans —this reptilian lick, ing before swallowing. We can save the industry from exploitation now; what can be done when the source of

clanger has large vested interests? While we are free, let not the smoothtongued enemy hypnotise us with his pictures of fabulous wealth; there is no excuse --for us, we have the methods and operations of the monster that would envelop our industry fully laid bare in America. The western industry was beguiled, cajoled and cheated into

accepting the stories of enormously increased wealth, and to-day they would give half what they possess to become fre e again, but the toils are too closely woven, and the profits they got in their freedom now, in their slavery go to the Armours and Swifts. The I very hugeness of the money this Trust {is spending to enmesh the industry 'should b e all-sufficient to enable us to correctly assess our real danger, and to commence the organisation that op-

position and protection the danger merits. Our local meat company is just as much concerned in keeping the Trust from getting a footing in any other meat company as it is in keeping its own secure, and, therefore, we are not sure, that it is not a part of its duty to producing shareholders that the di-

rectorate should consider itself a vigilant body, to zealously guard their interests. Government should be kept continuously urged on so as to render it practically certain that no surprise can be sprung uoon our meat industry, and it* .legitimate profits niched from us. We tt-r* much concerned about trading within the Empire, but that

question pales into insignificance when compared with the danger we are in of becoming bondslaves to th e American Meat Trust.