FROZEN MEAT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3392, 23 January 1920, Page 7

FR OZ EN MEAT.

POSI TION AT HO3l E.

PRIME ;\I'INISTER'.\‘ S'l‘.~\TislM}*JNT

CON'l,‘l~’.;\.DlC'l‘l'll)‘

Refel'ring to the frozen meat position :1. few (lays ago, the Prime gmnistel. stated that there was no congestion in the cool stores at Home. My ;\l.aS__~(\y said: “If there \\'us any congestion it was in the London stores alone.” This statement apparently is not correct, as the following clipping from the Lon. don Daily Mail of November 17, 1919. distinctly shows that the cold stores throughout England are full of meat. whilst there are large quantities lying‘ undiseliargocl on steamers. THE TRUE POSITION. The clipping referred to is 3,. fo]. lows:—— Why is control not z'enm\'r~d from flux meat and the public giyerr the adyan-t-age of the lower prices whieli, it may now sa.t'cly be said, would t'ellow immediately’.’ _

Owing to the high price of meat thg consumption has doclined."Pooplo are eating only about three-qL1a1'1o;-S of the ration. At the same timv cold stcros throughout the rrountzry are full of meat, inimonse qLlan_tilies are Iying_,v und'lsch:il'gcd on board ship, and Stiii greater quantities are on the sea.

It is osfinlatod that }}0.00() to ~to.ooo tons of moat is lying in ships in the Thames, and Hl9 quantit_\f on the warm‘ on thg way from New Zoaland is almost =3. record.

Men who know the trade tlll'ough and thl'ollg'll estimate that if the market were freed now there would be a decrease in price to the collsumel' of about 2d per lb for the best quality 111ea’t, and Lid and (id :1 pound for the cheaper cllts 131111 illfel'iol' 1110211‘.

The ans\\'ol'gi\'on to the quosfion why Control is not removed is ‘that Hm Brifish .1’:1rn101' has :1 gual'ant<)od pm-0 until next Juno. PLEDGE TO 'F.~\R"L\l'}*}RS.

While English meat is do-al'el' than ever, the C‘rovorrlnlmlt, xnaintainixlg its control in the face of :1 great plentitudo, insists on the high. in<-,-reused price for its imported meat to pay the. fal'nlors‘ their guarantees and balance its accounts.

It is recognised tint 'lhv Government must fulfil its pledgp to the farmers; but it is (lo<_;la1'0d by v.\'.poi'ts that if the ),liXllSi'l‘_\' of Fnod does not qifckly find 11 solution which will involve the 1'0m0v:.1l of (‘.oml'Cl, it will run the risk of ;1‘1'o:1t i()SSi‘S. Evon if Hie fimncial losses whicli might be incurred by tho reinoval of control had to -be I'oc.ovm'od by taxation. it is claimed that it would 1).; :1 proper clovrsc to’lo‘r"tllv ])(‘opl9 llsl\'(‘ the ad\'an‘a_«_:o in a dear \\'llitL‘l' of one “ S:'l\'(‘ tho o’rllCi'\\'iso cvl'tzlsn (instruction of lal',qo quantiiios of n'l(‘2li ’r'o" which I'llol'o is no pl‘Op(‘l‘ si‘ol'aga~.