The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1919. THE PRODUCE COMMANDEER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3327, 4 November 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1919. THE PRODUCE COMMANDEER.

With which I'l3 incorporated “The Taihagie Posts and Waimarino News.”

In yesterday ’.s issue Mr S. Timbs, a man with an almost ‘lifelong experience in the meat trade, published some deductions made finoan observations and from experiences picked up at recentlyheld cattle fairs in the Taihape district. We arc pleased to have such contributions from Mr Timbs, but we believe there are other meat trade exlperts who are well‘ equipped i’o;r assisting in bringing about a more uniform" opinion, and, sequentially, more practical views with regard to tlle meat future. As is -the case with many who have watched the meat marleet in Brit"ain being swallowed by the Trust gourmand, Mr Timbs’ neasonings appear to h‘ave got int.o a. rut from which {he -finds some difliculty :in rescuing them, much ‘to his disadvantage. We do not think he is. right ‘in assuming : that farrnerg‘bclieVc there is any im- ’ media-te piiobiability-' of a: slunip in meat, , owing. teany ‘lessened deinand, shaould the comniandecr not7‘bc*rcnewed next _June.. Most farmers are "fully aware of the; World—sh.ortagc of meat and meat-products, which fiiiilllis out, but they a'.rcA'faced Lwith"h ;cloud_\ of üblackest uncertainty that has ,ac- g _'c.umulated owing to the almost entlirel _disregard of our onnn .Govzern.ment. about itlie market that is slipping away, andl will continue to slip away until the moment the imperial commandeerl ‘ceases, if it does cease in June, 1920. .There is no pessimism v-about want of‘ any actual, natural demand,-but there] is nothing short of consternation Of‘ the deepest chara.ct.er about the Imperial (G-overnnient liavring zallowed/the Meat Trust to get possession of virtu-' ally .the'whole not the'lne'an's of distribution. While vtlre Trust’ has been busy mopping up those means of distribution. in Britain. our Government hasbeen just about as active, ‘in, New‘ Zealand producers’ interests ‘as a woodengod. Farniers know that :their -vital interests are tliijeatenecl, not byi shortage of demand,’b'u.t by Trust con-i trol of that demand. Although it may] not be wise to place too much dependence on the prospect, it is probable the commandcer will be renewed; this view is contributed -to by the Imjierial Government’s expressed intention to continue to control the food supply. With Very nearly every avenue of meat distribution in Britain in posssesion of the Trust, it is unbelievable that the Imperial vauthiorities will cast our niezit. ovc'r to the veracity of Trust dogs. We think it 1‘CaS:O11€1l)l0 to assume that opportunity will be given to ,thoroughly andsysteniatically reorganise markets, i enabling better conditions being estab- I lished than have hitlicrto existed. With I the first of Mr Timbs’ categorised :opin- Q ions we entirely agree; there is a tendency to still higher values for New Zealand produce for some years to come. With respect to shipping, we think Mr Timbs has been in conference I with the wrong class of people. How! any man can come to the conclusion under present circumstances that shipping shortage is a trouble in the distance only, and ovcrdrawn at that, is beyond conception. It is, indeed, an ill wind that blows no good, and even shipping scarcity has enabled owners of cold storage in, the Dominion to let that‘ storage at highly remunnerative rates; but let it be well 11I1(l’€1'S'tO»0d that storage rent will end when the commandeerceases. Is it not -a. fact -that the foun- I dations of the whole national strue-tare I are shipping? It is as essential for this country to have ships to take produce away as it is -tchave land ‘tolgrow the produce upon, and yet it is suggested that the need for shipping is a mere phantom in the distance, a bogey largely ovcrdrawn. The great com.m:erci.a.l superstructure this Dominion has built up is based upon shipping, and on ship- ’ ping only. Is there a farmer or a‘ business man; who does not."i"eali’se that shipping constitutes the. red corpuscles Of this Goll‘ntl‘y’s national and commercial life blood? So long as the people and producers of this Dominion do not control their own ships as thol'oug'h1)’ and Cfiefihlfllly as thcylcontrol their OWn~ land,‘ they are at the .mercy’ of Shipping Combines and Meat Trusts.

ilf fa.l‘ln-ers and "people will insist upon [exacting -a promise from every candi{datc for Parliamen.t.’*that they will [ Strongly advocate a State Shipping Line in elected, they will drive an important nail into the coflin of shipping -short i age. VVirthout the éfiulllest ilf-acfihity E for reaching markets, markets in them- | selves are worthless, their shipping is [the prior necessity. The very prop ueons'titu-ting the sole suppor.t of our nat-ion:a.l life and progress Mr Timhs ithinks is just splendiduas it is; it is [quite all right in the contrrol of the [combine. Yes, we believe our means of I getting t,-'0 market are just raliout safe lie the liancls -of the Combine as our ‘meat is in the control of the Meat Trust. In his third contention, we are inclined to think Mr Timbs has not chosen the right Words to express his views; he states that farmers- realise ' there is a sure market -at ,a fixed- price till June, 1920, and if '-that is not conitinued they say, “.N«ow comes your islump.” We do not believe any fal'lll- - seriously believes anything of the lkinnl, but many do justifiably believe that if the e-ommandeser is not renewed, "‘theu will come chaos.” But it is only the want of shipping that can render that chaos hurtful to this country’s' production; nrark-ets and prices in Europe are calling out- for New ,Zealand’s meat and wool; if only ample shippi-ng were available. the comlna3l- - might aclvuarntageoiisly be discon-'tinu-ed, but so long‘"‘as'this country’s producers are at the ..mercy of the Shipping Céombine, there are reasons for strongly urging -that t'h;e commandeer be extended until our shipping delpartmcnt is brought in closer accord- , ance with the couvn.tl'y’s most vital re‘quircments. We sympathise with Mr flTi.mbg in ihis, a.ppa.ren’r.. ilY~foxica\ti.on with tlre high prices that are ofi’cring;= I prices, he says, 150 per cent higher than any farmers have been able to get at any time. But, incidentally. he makes it clear ‘that such glorious achievements ionly become possible by “the gentle‘mon controlling our produce concerns knowing their business and keeping up their end of the stick.” Just so, the whole “me-at stick” has to be "kept up; the New Zealand end is in producing and shipping ‘to London; the “gentlemen controlling” havetho distribution end. Calamitously for producers, amongst “gentlemen contnolling” there i is a notable prcpon'(l:erance of the! Trust, while a‘t4tll'i_s. end we have no (ships b'cyo~nd "what the Combine feels disposed to.y_favour us__V'_,\l')if]l. In face of ‘the facts, ‘far-mers:a.rei fully" juiistili-‘ed in hesitating to have «all. i-estraint re-! moved, such a,s_woul_d leave them entirely attlie mercy.of"the_Mca‘t Trust. which adninittedly controls‘ distribution in B'ritain. and at the mercy of the Shipping -iCo"nlbine" whit,-hhas entire con- i trol of the means of gettiiig produce to ' market. i.';\_lr Timbs’.contributizorin‘to" the. discussion of that wliich most ‘deeply concerns everyone is _\(eru_wel<'onlo, ‘and a hearty iliv.it';ation.'i:§:jesrfend<:d to all who hav-e_ thoughts" on the subject to express to make use of our'correspondonce columns.