AMERICAN MEAT TRUST MENACE

Taihape Daily Times, 14 June 1919, Page 5

AMERICAN MEAT TRUST MENACE

(To the Editor) Sir, —In reply to Mr D. F. Gordon’s comments re the above-mentioned subject, it is plain that he fails to grasp my meaning, or I was not sufficiently intelligible; I will try and explain. (1) All meat consigned from New Zealand to pay an export tax, except that portion consigned to Great Bri- / tain, this said meat to be handled entirely by New Zealand companies, under one brand, and sold direct to the retailer from cool store depots established in all the big centres. (2) Sell to the American if they want our meat to take to the States, or elsewhere. This is where my idea of an export tax would fit our own companies right; they would be able to ship free of duty. The other man to get bis meat away, pays duty, if his object is the English market, his export duty, transhipment charges, will give the New Zealand company; a chance to beat him easily on landed cost in the United Kingdom. (3) The one thing I was trying to Convey to anyone interested is, that the retail butcher in Great Britain is doing his utmost to get into closer touch with colonial producers. Mr Billings, an expresident of the National Federation of meat trades, addressing a mass meeting of master butchers at Leeds, at the end of April last, said that the old system of brokers in force before the war and the individualism of New Zealand freezing companies, was a great hindrance to the retailer in his trying suitable lots required by his trade. (4) The very last thing I expected to see was that Mr Gordon should imagine I was belittling the actions of the Farmers’ Union in agitating against the Meat Trust. For the past eight years I have done all I could as an individual to arouse public attention to the strength of American competition on the Horae' market, hut I do not helieve in Government control. Farmers must think* twice before placing the output from the land under 1 'red tape.” The whole world is your market, yet be prudent and preserve to yourselves your old valued clients and good payer in ‘ ‘ the Old Dart. ’ —I ain, etc., ” S. S. TIMES.