The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1917. DETERIORATING PRODUCE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 3 July 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1917. DETERIORATING PRODUCE.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Wairaarino News).

It is intensely interesting to watch the progress of the Shipping Merger questions asked in the House, which are set down for to-morrow, in their relationship with the extreme congestion of the various freezing works throughout the Dominion. Ministers are keeping an oyster-like silence on one while the cables have been set going on the other. Mr. Massey has said he had been kept fully advised of everything of consequence that was going on here while he was in B'ritain; was it of no consequence to know that our produce in thousands of tons was deteriorating here while the armies and people of Britain were in strained need of it? If he had been informed of the true state of things what value was it if he did not let the people of Britain know, 'and make representations to the British Government thereupon? We must assume that he had not been advised of the facts about our meat and produce, as he has found it necessary just after putting foot on our shores to cable them, to Britain. Last Saturday Mr. Massey said, "This morning I have cabled to the Imperial Authorities and the British Press particulars as to the quan- ' tity of meat in store in New Zealand, and the quantity expected to be in store before next season begins." He intimates that this is merely the beginning of a publicity campaign and to point out the extreme need of more tonnage being diverted to our shores. It seems to us that it does not matter

at all whether the British public know all about our troubles or not; we know them; we sec millions of carcases of our best mutton deteriorating in cold store; we know that tons of our best

butter must be sold anywhere and at any price to avoid almost total loss; we know that tons of cheese are already being destroyed as being unfit for food, and we know that our freezing- storage is still congested, and yet Mr. Massey evidently knew nothing about it, and he now sends along a howl to the British Press and the Im-

perial Authorities and shipping combines, while the last vestige ,of our hold on a single ship is bei&g allowed to be thrust aside. It looks as though the shipping combine magnates have the opiate readied up to reply to the Prime Minister, and that a promise of help will be given to overcome immediate difficulties if the Merger is allowed to go through. "We sincerely ■ hope and trust it is otherwise, but we ! have learned from long experience that when such combinations of capital hare once laid their plans to envelop. ;anyth'ing or country there has l*e-eri very little room for escape left to .the. "Unfortunate victim. In all prob"Mri. Massey will receive and

administer the Trust's opiate to the House, and while members are dazed the last hold on a ship this country has will be snatched away. In the interests of the hundreds of thousands of workers to-day and the millions of the years to come may it be otherwise. To-morrow the answers to the Shipping Merger questions are due, we can, it appears, only wait, for no inkling of the Government's leanings .have been allowed to leak out.