MEAT TRADE PROSPECTS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3358, 10 December 1919, Page 5

MEAT TRADE PROSPECTS.

(To the Editor.) Sil',—Youl' leading article to-night re the meat commandeer finishing June," 1920, is awfully pessimistic. I feel sure you are a genuine battler for the New Zealand producer against the American trusts, but, wh'at’s the use of facing the future gloemily, rather than brace ourselves and profit by our past experiences. Govei-.nment parties who have handled the produce of New Zealand the past four and a-half years, ha.ve'in their dealings with the Imperial Government -shown an utter lack of‘ expert‘ knowledge in handling rthe, various articles th‘e._y had to SBl'l',l‘Jo: ‘them, not only in price, but in the, future ‘prospects of transit -and distri-3 bution. This‘ Dominion has, sold ,mea."fi, ; wool, butter, and cheese at prices below the Worldts‘ parity, that should have paid our national debt and bought 2. fleet of steamers, fsonwhose ‘benefit? To equalise "prices on goods bought from the Amer ican Trusts at exorbitant rates. But the war period, thank God, is‘ past, we- now have to face the future and get rid of the s‘hac.kles of red tape, the :transition from a tied, to a free market had to be‘ faced some time or other, and the stores emptied for la fresh start. New Zealand meat has not had a. quote on the Home market for a year or two; this is the oflfieial wording’: e The prices, September, 1919} Beef, U.S.A., per stone of Slbs hind quarters 7/9, fore quarters 4/1,1; do, Canadian,.j 7/9, 4/11; ‘do. ‘South Aflriean, ‘7/5, 4/7; do. Brazilian, 7/5’ 4/7; do, other‘ countries, 7/11, 5/1'; mutton and lamb (carcase) per stone 7/0;‘ pork do. 9/«6. i

You see, sir, We dare not even acknowledged on the official London central market ’s daily quotes, we. are just classed among “other gountries.” Can you imagine, or understand, why our Goverxzmezit 1-epresenfativ-es allow. us to be classed with fhe ~“ also ran?” This is where, I disagree with your pessimism.’ We cannot, muddle how We may, do worse o‘n our own, than when swathed in red tape and I'll bet you ,a-. new hat, or a. new suit, that prices in January, 1921, will be 1d per pound higher than in January, 1920.I am, etc. STEAM_