The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1919. THE FUTURE OF MEAT.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 July 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1919. THE FUTURE OF MEAT.

With which its incorporated “The ':l‘aihape Post and Waimarino .1 News-” i

Farmers, are you standing at attention to the condition of the meat market as it is to-day? If so, do YOll See any prospect away. over the next year, when the commandeer will be lifted, for any great improvement? As nle’a‘t matters have stood since the commandcer ‘commenced we never could understand why there should be an outcry in one quarter for the abandonment of the Imperial requisition, and we strongly urged continuance until the end of next year and longer if practicable. Farmers and Meat Freezing Companies are between the British Government and the American Meat Trust; the formeris taking the meat at one-third its market. value, but if left to the mercy of the American Trus_t,“_even that one-third of its market Value would not be forthcoming, as that other octopus, the a shipping combine, would have left the meat to rot where it was killed.Whether it is "by the power, influence‘ and operations of 'the‘r\nl‘eriean Trust, or not, New Zealand meat is 11ot getting on to the British market as it should do. ‘Mr. W, J. Polson has drawn attention to some meat fig-

ures which every farmer will do Well to attach vital imffortance to. So far as his figures ai"e verifiable at the moment we find 'them to be quite correct, and because of their correctncss they reveal a rather alarming situation, not bad, we think, as implied by Mr. Poison, but bad enough under any circumstance. He has pointed out that freezing companies have -had stores so congested that, if farmers’ stock is to be taken, additional storage became compulsory. ‘All works in New Zealandhave been very considerably extend'é'd by‘ the erection of immensely I enhanced storage accommodation. While this additional‘ storage ha; been ‘provided in this country ~stora;2_re'has bécn fevz __erishlr being pushed up inlthe 01a Countryzr and now Mr, Polso'n’s figures show‘;-‘ that not only‘ 2:; meat filling av-ilabzlc "Storage at thio end, but that thefstorage in Britain is also packed ‘full. "Intelligent observers are as--touuded’ at the ‘meat prospect, and

many are consximed with wonder and misgivings as to the full extent of the Trust’s penetration into the control of British Empire goverlllnellts, for highest hopes hold out no possibility _of New Zealand stores being af~ fected in only a negligible, hand to mouth, fashion This British meat is clogging storage, and all that can be accomplished towards taking what farnlers have to offer in the coming

season, is to go on proviciing more ‘storage. If, at the end of next Year the meat coinmandeer ends, What is t 0 ‘become of the following season’s gstoclcii For it is estimated that ‘if the British Govermnelit accomplishes the maximum in persuaduills“ the shipping combinoto take away (their meet, a clearance could not be effected in one year, and when it is lcoiwitleretl that there are some ten milli.on‘carcases in British stores to !go on the market, thy situation beficomes truly alarming. We are Of iopinion, however. that Mr. Polson has [overlooked one niitigatfng feature, but EEIOW "far that will relieve the .‘~‘i‘fllation lit is impossible to estimate at present. Britziin has undertaken to supply GOT‘ l many with all the men‘: the German ipcohle can pay for, and as molle)’.ls‘ 3bollt the most plentiful Commodit." in tha‘t3countl'§' While 111021‘ and fats haVO not been obtainable during the latter Ltages of the Allied blockade, the ten ‘million carcases in British stores should soon be used up, more cSD9Ci' 311)’ as all countries in which War raged are waiting open-mouthed for the meat and fat that can be Shipped to them. The shipping: problem, Her? disagreeably insinuatos itself, and: in the influence it (lees exert, over shipping, the Meat T':nSf holds the trump card. The Trust has been {playing for a big stzilr-; and. with the Shipping trump-card it looks as though it were going to scoop a big pool. The arch-enemy of the New Zealand farmer is undoubtciily the American Meat Trust, an enemy that

should make the word America stink in every farmer's nostrils‘. The power of that Trust has compelled the British Government to perpetrate an unextvinguishable, W;-tong on the source of the Empire's in.tel'_lal meat supply, and the future is enveloped in the darkest of 'clouds. New Zealand

farmers have trusted to pfiniises the men who made them had not the ability to perform, and they are still waiting for something to turn upWhat are they waiting for, and from what source do they expect their meat niillenium? -It has’ been nobody’s business to keep the true meat situation under the cmstant notice of farmers. Combined action by freezing ComPallies in producers’ interests are impracticable as the Trust has too tight a grip on the freezing industryLabour is emblazoning and acclaiming the word. “Unity,” from end to end Of New Zealand. what organisation to unite the whole producing interests of farmers is there to help in securing common justice even? Do farmers really understand that, through the British Government, they" are paying the American Trust something li'r?c sixpence a pound on meat, equal in quantity to their total exports? New Zealand farmers received from the Imperial authorities fourpence halfponny per pound. the Trust got fifteen pence. The loss on ‘meat costing fifteenpenee Britain more than made up with the profits on this Dominion’s meat. requisitioned at fourpence .halfpenny_ The Imperial Government was forced into this dishonest bargain by the American Meat Trust, which is now_ seeking to cast the odium on their victim. New Zealand farmers were forced to take the fourpence halfpenny, for at a higher price the British Government ‘could not make terms with the Trust for shipping. -Even at this stage the Trust and Combine is so powerful that it can audaciously and with 'imp'°'s“v keep this countrys’ meat fin...-.A btthlg shipped to Europe, and hence cold storage is congested increasingly by Trust action as the farmers provide it. The bait to this meat trap is not furnished by ._thr2, Trust, andflfpr that

reason far-.ming:sharcholders in [freezingworks could not .go_ wrong in; endeavouring to learn what the ultimate of the storage gold—nlinc is likely to: be. It is bewildering that" "farmers, _ while claiming the sole right to determine the trend of their industry, do little more than attend‘ to the growing of their products: they accept the highest price per head that any peregrinating buyer offers, caring nothing about what happens thereafter. They do not realise that Biitish consumption of meat. is fully met despite the present congestion of cold storage; they live in blind -hope of a market iiiateriafization, but the nature of the hoped for market does not. seem to give much concern. Interested individuals, and the mouthpieces. of Meat Trustsare busily proclaiming that future .- meat pl'ospccts are ‘bright; alld._unless farniers make up their mindspgto get into closer ‘union, to perfect the organ‘isa'tToll of their interests so that the farmers oi‘ the Dominion can bring their whole collective force to bear on questions which vitally affect their very existonce, the dangers Mr_ W. R. Poison has drawn attention to are very real indeed. Farmers have a right to know when the agreement between the Imperial authorities and the Meat Trust terminates, for on that termination depends so much the future of their industry. If it -terminated with the War why is the Trust still profiteering? Why does not the British Government bring down the price of meat to Britishcrg, from two shillings a pound to at least half? Why are inexplicable high prices - allowed to continue to congest all the storage New Zealand and Britain can build? Do farmers realise the nature of the power that can force the Empire into such conditions? Have farmers understood that while they have been filled up with corrupt verbiage about not trailing with the enemy, things have been so cngnicered that the enemy is the only visible means whereby congested cold Stol‘a£3r; can be made available for their meat after the middle of next year‘? Why are farmers kept from closely uniting, from coming into such close combination as will render them a power in the land? Is it not a fact that those farmers who are known to have suicidally thrown in their lot with the octopus on production are being oncouraged to throw every obstacle in the way of :1 real union of producers? Is not the farmer made to believe he is a power at election times, while it is a fact. that the producing ranks are split up into opposing factions, disastrous to the very stability of farming? These and dozens of other vital questions are awaiting answers from the industry from whence comes all money for the up—keep of the State; and it is only an answer from farmers coming as from one man that can prove helpful and effective in achieving the possible. Farmers are not wanting knowledge and experience of the power of Unity, then why will ' they not closely unite? ‘ls it a’ house divided against itself?" _ ’