The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1916. WOOL AND MEAT MARKET.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 14 November 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1916. WOOL AND MEAT MARKET.

(With which is incorporated The Taihapc Post and Waimarino News).

A new agreement was recently made whereby New Zealand will earn a million pounds more for her meat this coming season than was earned last year if not one ounce more meat is sent to Britain, and now it is seen from the cabled report of the present series of London wool sales that another, or an additional million sterling, perhaps it would be more correct to say nearly two millions more will come to New Zealand this year than was received last year for the same quantity of wool. It was only natural to predict a year ago that such a condition must result from continuance of the Avar. There is a greater demand for wool than under ordinary circumstances, and this is accentuated by the sources of supply being depleted; the same applies to meat, and all producing countries will benefit proportionately. What the present state of markets denotes is that New Zealand meat and wool growers will handle netAveen them nearly three millions of 'money sterling more this year than they did last year for a precisely similar quantity of their products, and this district’s share of that additional sum Avill be somewhere in the region of seventy-five thousand pounds. Truly a huge amount of money, and a sum thaU augurs avcll for further rapid bringing of virgin lands into producing capacity. At the same time it implies a greater amount of taxes to pay, but only the churl and the miser will mind that. What Avill prove objectionable is the audacious dishonesty of shipping companies and the minions of the Meat Trust, both of whom became possessed of foreknowledge of what was to happen, and they lost no time in plying the nefarious operations for Avhich they are noted. While the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph i Ward are in England, it is sincerely 1 hoped they Avill be able to accomplish I something towards preventing freights I on meat and wool becoming nothing ‘ less than sheer robbery. It reminds • 0116 of me cripple, Avhn, while out, had < two shillings given him, and directly

the donor’s back was turned the lad in care of the cripple refused to take him home unless he got half the money, It may be that the British Government will decide that this shipping robbery is detrimental to that good feeling that is necessary for utmost success in the Empire’s co-operation in keeping up supplies for armies in the field, and may bring some pressure to bear in maintaining some semblance of reason, if not of fairness. The other danger—the Meat Trust — farmers have it in their power to combat. Surely legitimate prices are high enough to satisfy any farmer that is not consumed with his own greed. Is he so demented as not to realise tuar when a shilling or two more is offered for his lambs than is the best market price, it is the tentacles of the meat octopus that are spreading around him? Is he such an ass as not to realise that when the whole trade Is captured by such methods just what the Trust likes to offer will have to be accepted? There is no valid excuse for the poorest man on the land with present high prices to make himself the victim of the exploiter. It is the old trick of the sharper; he allows his prospective victim to win at the beginning that he may eventually clean out even his last shilling. But there is just one other aspect about this playing with the meat trust fire, it is a distinct injustice to the children that come after. By handing the meat industry to the exploiter, farmers rob their children of the same free markets that they enjoyed, and whereby their store of gold was made. Just recently newspapers at Home were discussing the action of the meat trust in closing down arbitrarily their freezing works in Uruguay. It is well that our farmers should ponder over this fact. While there is an unlimited demand for meat, farmers in Uruguay find their freezing works closed down, and their fat stock must remain in their paddocks as there are no freezing works that do not belong to the Trust to take it to. Uruguayan farmers would gladly sell their meat to the Trust at half its market value, but, no, they cannot even get that—the works are clbsed. It is obvious those works will -Quickly be opened when the utmost result of squeezing operations is forthcoming. Farmers, do not deceive yourselves, for just similar conditions are going to prevail here if you allow all your freezing works to get into the possession of the Trusr through selling them your stock while ybu have your own works at your farm gates. You may not feel the fearful torture of what you are bringing about, but your sons will after you and is it your wish to leave your children such a legacy? Can there be two opinions about the building up of

your own industry, keeping it in your own hands, rather than to pass your-

selves over to those whose existence from the very commencement has been nothing but undeniable evidence of a career of exploitation and ron-l-bery. These trusts know the demand of t. he world for meat and wool is growing, and must grow, while the supply must grow visibly less in proportion, and it is always on the necessities of existence such bloodsuckers batten.