MEAT FOR IMPERIAL USE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 338, 12 November 1915, Page 3

MEAT FOR IMPERIAL USE.

QUESTION OF EXPLOITATION

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CASE

WELLINGTON, November 10

.A suggestion has been made locally that under the arrangement for purchase of New Zealand frozen meat for Imperial requirements, large profits were being made in London either by the Board of Trade or by private speculators. The complaint had its origin in a comparison of tihe Prices paid in New Zealand f.o.b. and the retail prices recorded in the British ma-Let reports. The Prime Minister stated to-day that he had been placed in possession of a letter bearing upon this point. The letter was written by a man interested in the trade who had made personal investigation in London. He said, on September 23rd; “I must confess that one time I was of similar opmion, as there appeared such a huge difference between the actual f.o.b. prices paid in New Zealand and the pri es on the Smithfield market, but on going carefully into the matter I fouiv 1 that it would take the Boa *d of Trade all their time to get their mane/ back even at the present hign rang 3 of prices. The Board of Trade was approached in June last, when it was shown the difference between f.o.b. and Smithfield prices, and, of course, asked that a higher price be paid to the New Zealand producers, bu tthe reply was to the effect that this was not possible in view of the administrative expenses, cost of sending out vessels in ballast, etc., and they also got an opportunity of pointing out that the efforts of the Board of Trade had resulted in the., largest possible supply of insulated tonnage for New Zealand at a time when numerous complaints were being made that private efforts had failed to secure the desired results. The Board of Trade must ,of course, provide against dead loss in the case of damage or deterioration in connection with London charges. It put them down as follows: Management rate, one month’s murage, and delivery on market, at 30s per ton, 16d per lb; extra month’s storage lid per lb; commission at 2 per cent., 14d per lb; administrative expense (Sir Thomas Robinson’s office and demurrage on steamer). You will see that the 4d is exceeded without taking into consideration at all office expenses demurrage, .which almost invariably occurs on each steamm. As to the opinion expressed of producers doing better if they had been left on their own, I must disagree with this, as I am sure had supplies not been controlled they would have been right in the hands of speculators, who would have taken all the profit and rigged the market to suit their own convenience.”