THE MEAT SITUATION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3407, 11 February 1920, Page 5

THE MEAT SITUATION.

WHERE THE TROUBLE LIES. (To the Editor.) Sil',——ln conlmon with most producers, I wish to congratulate Mr Massey on his letter to Sir James Wlisozi upon the meat question, recently published in your columns. It is true that to some of us the suggestions contained in the letter may appear like an attempt to lock the stable door after the horse is stolen, but it is gratifying to find that the seriousness of the situation has occasioned the Minister ’s absorbed attention.‘ Perhaps I may be allowed to make some comment upon the situation.

it seems to me that it is now too late in the day to tall? about clearing our stores by the next meat season. Had Mr Massey given «the farmers’ proposals the serious consideration last year which they are now receiving from him the position might have.,been very different. I would ask you to cast your mind back over the past ‘nine months, and recall that the position which has new arisen has been accurately prophesied as far back as July last. You will remember that I myself pointed out'what was bound to happen, and what has since happened. I stated. at that date that the continual cry of “ships, more ships!” was actually misleading the producer. I supported my statement by cablegrams from meat authorities at Home, extracts from trade reviews, and other evidence that the English stores were rapidly filling, if not altogether full. Mr Massey’s reply was to quote a cablegram from the High Commis.~:iollel' that only somewhere about two and a quarter million careases were in store. Since then there have been frequent Press cablegrams and statements in the English and colonial Press concerning the glutltcd conditioin of the stores throughout Great Britain, and the h-old-up of shipping that was actually being utilised for cold storage until space could be found for the meat ashore. Mr Massey ’s recent answer to this was the soothing statement that the congestion was occurring"in London alone. Now I think that the latest cablegrams and reportsjfitom the English newspapers to hand must make it manifest "to the most faithful. believer in I\linisterial dictum that {he can. gestion has reached such an acute stage that the Imperial ‘illlthflrities themselves have awakened to the serious? ness of the problem from their own point of view. .

Nor was Mr Massey’s informaition

in regard to the coinmancleer much more enlightening than his information about the condition of the I'efl'igol'&tGd stores. I stated positively to -'the DO- - Conference of the Fa;rm.:rS’ Union last year, and also to Mr Massey, that from the information which had come into my possession, I Was satisfied the Imperial Government would not extend the commandeei‘, and that it. was useless to ask for it; and I‘ explained confidentially to the Farmers’ Union and Sheepbreeders’ Association the nature of the information I had received. While I do not wish to pose as an authority on ‘the subjeeft, I think that Mr Massey would have been wiser to have investigated this aspect of the question than to have repeatedly held out hopes of an extension of the commandeer, as he has undoubtedly do-ne.

All through this controversy. which has occupied» so many months that might have been utilised in remedial measures, I have been h'a.mnlering away. at the point that reduced consumption, caused by high prices, and sthus occasioning a. glut -at the English end, was the crux of the situation, and not shipping. Mr Massey, on the contr'al'y, has gone nap on shipping, and in his letter to Sir James Wilson he ‘still harps on the necc-ssit"y of obtaining ships to clear our stores. As a matter of fact the official figures show that there are more insulated ships, and of greater tonnage, to—day than before the war, while many more are "nearing completion. In my opinion shipping in the near future will be both cheap and plentiful, but wlla't is thepusc of. talking about shipping when, if we had all the refrigerated steamers on the globe tomorrow morning they could not handle our frozen meat because ‘there is nowhere to put it. Mr Massey has been misled by , his officers in regard to the situation, and that the remedy which was approved by the Dominion Conferenme of the Farmers’ Union last year, and which included a commission to England was the proper solution of the problem. And now, sir, may I say '2l word about the proposed commission, of which I happen to be a member? Mr Massey now tells us, if the telegraphed summary of his remarks is accurate, that he will only send the commission if the farmers amd sheepbreeders again go through all last year ’s formalities and ask for it once more. In fact, his attitude can only be explained in two Ways: either he has no confidence in the men appointed, or he has no sympathy with the proposal. How can any commission procee_d to England under such auspices? Publie confidence must be shaken, and the commissioners themselves discouraged. Personally, I made one of the connnission with considerable reluctance and at great sacrifice, and I want to make it plain now, that under such circumstances nothing will persuadc me to act on any commission. I still consider that a commission would have done good and valuable work, but that any commission proceeding to England now will have its efforts stu]tified owing to the attitude "of the Prime Minister, whose fear of doing anything displeasing to the English authorities has become almost an obsession. May I say in conclusion, that it has been my habit to carefully refrain from saying anything in criticism of Mr Massey’s policy in any address I have delivered on this subject. My only object has been to try and help in the solution of the difficulty which faces us as producers. I fail, therefore, to understand why Mr Massey should ha.v-e gone out of his way to suggest ‘that I -am merely crying “stinking fish.” I have not referred ill any terms of disparagcmcnt to the meat at this end, and have been content to quote public opinion as expressed in the Press at the English end. It is surely time the producers realised the position instead of living in a fool’s paradise, and in spite of anything Mr Massey may say to the contrary, New Zealand farmers should be wakened up to the fact that their interests are suffering through the hamlling of our meat in the Imperial Stores and by the Imperial authorities gener,ally, and that drastic and immediate isteps must be taken. to put matters iright, stops even more dnastic and immediate than Mr Massey’s letter to SEl.’ James VVils«lm contains any hint ,ot'.——l am, ~et,e.,

' ' W. J. POLSON Fordoll, February 7.