The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1920. LIGHT ON THE MEAT SITUATION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3419, 25 February 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1920. LIGHT ON THE MEAT SITUATION.

With which its incorpc; ;m-' “The Taihape Post. an} Waimmino News.”

The Board of Agriculture arranged a representative conference to discuss any and every matter connected with the meat export business, including, of course, shipping. That conference concluded its -sitting. extending over two days, last week, and though we have -not been favoured with details of what it accomplished we are hopeful that a conference composed of delegates from freezing companies, dail');'Companies and producers generally with the Board of Agriculture, has evolved much that will not only be welcomed !by producers but also ‘by the general public as a. whole. It is only reasonable to assume that a more closely approximate opinion will be possible when the names of the selected delegates» are made known. Such documents as the report of the Meat Trust Commission make it plain that there are meat trade experts it would be dangerous to select in the best interests of New Zea]and’s meat business from the producer's point of view; but from brief information to hand it appears that among the chief subjects of discussion were future shipping conditions, suggested extension of the meat commandeer, the present critical position in connection with meat in Britain, the present shortage of shipping and the resultant congestion that is likely to become increasingly more acute. A Board of Agriculture should be the natural outcome of the Dominion’s chief industry, and a. conference with that Board, of delegates from the chief sections of primary -producers and experts from freezing companies should form as ideal an institution for satisfactorily disposing of current meat and shipping problems as it is possible to get, and we are hopeful Of much having been decided upon that will lead to full achievement. The Board of Agriculture is appointed by the Government and if all 'the delegates are also selected by Government it would not be at all difiicult to closely predict what the conclusions are the conference has reached on the subjects specially dealt wtih. First of all the producers of this countrl’ desire a full and frank enlightenment of conditions the British Government are evolving for the future. It is beyond question that the whole output of mutton and beef of Patagonia has been purchased, and it is as Sure 35 the earth revolves around the sun that the Imperial Authorities will find ships to get that meat aWflY- Why do not the Imperial Authorities advise how that purchase is going *0 affect the market for the New Zealand meat they have decided not to Purchase? Britain may be -aictillg €V9l‘ 50 b°’}9‘ ficially in New Zealand IPT°d“°eTS' m‘ terests, but those producers are eager to learn what their marketing future is. going to !be, We do not underestimate the difficulties; f°l' the Brit: ish Board of Trade Committee in Brl- - is beset with meat traders :11 England clamouring 501' free markets: while some producers desire a continuance of the requisition till marketing Chaos is less dense. But, as-a, renewal of contracts is not generally fa"oured in New Zealand, no further con-Side;-ation was given to that subjectOn the other hand it is disclosed that the British Government is purchasing outright the whole output of - Patagonia, and there is na'turall_v concern

ins to how that purchase is going to iaffect this Dominion. Britain has determined the principle of action for kthe future, and -that involves the pur.'chase and to some extent the control [of meat, but the full meal: trade IIOIiCY jof the Government has not Yet been lfully disclosed, hence «the annoying luncertainty. On the termination of {the Commandeer the Meat Importers’ {Society is anticipating that much of the Australasian meat will be diverted Yto European countries Where demand is greater and prices higher. It must not be assumed, however, that producers are at all likely t 0 T9o6‘-We those prices -unless‘ Cancellation 05 such loadings as the surtaxe cl‘ entrepot, bounties, subsidies, and other tariff aspects can be quickly brought about. It is not so much the price of meat on the Continent» Producers desire to know as the net price they are going to receive in New Zealand, for only by such information can they determine the best course to take. The, British Board of Trade states definitely that Argentine and Pata‘g‘oni:m mutton are ‘best suited for contliuental markets, and that the more highlypriced Australian and New Zealand mutton and lamb will tend to exclude foreign mutton and lamb from markets of the United Kingdom. V This decision may be as= clear as daylight to the Board, but it is “difficult for New Zealand produders to harmonise it with the {fact that what they term the low-priced mutton suitable for continental trade, has been purchased by Britain in the past at 150 per cent. higher price than paid for what they term the higher priced New Zealand mutton. We are anxiously looking forward for a detailed report of the Board of Agriculture Conference, held in Wellington last weekwhoping that it will shed a light enabling producers to clearly define the position in which they stand. Conclusions arrived at by the Conference are in fun possession of the Premier, and it is reported that he undertook to enter into certain negotiations; it seems advisable that those conclusions shouldnotbe made public. There isjust one important aspect disclosed in the deliberations of the British Committee, that is, w-hile"-the purely meattraders of Britain suggest that much of the Australasian meat may be diverted to the Continent after the commandeer ceases, the" Board of Trade Committee -plainly states that Argentine and Patagonrian mutton are more suitable for the Continent, and that the higher priced Australasian mutton and lamb would exclude the other meat from the markets of the United Kingdom. This is a contradiction which is not at once understood, unless it is that a proposal may be made to purchase the New Zealand output for British consumption at an advance on the present requisition price, at a higher price -than that which the igatagonian output is purchased at. We are not convinced, by any means, that conditions are such as Warrant the demand for a free market, and our views are strengthened by the fact that the idea of freemarkets is easily and unmistakeably traceable to meat traders, to the members of the Society of Meat Importers in London, and to their representatives in New Zealand. They dangle, quite rightly, high Continental prices for meat, but they s-ay nothing about the intermediate charges of which little or nothing is lmovgn by producers. Meat importers, under which category the meat trust comes, clamour for free markets; they want to put New Zealand meat into competition with South American cheaper meat, and Yet suggest that producers will receive a higher price. On the other hand the British Board of Trade Meat Committee definitely states that South American meat is best suited for Continemal trade. and that New Zealand and .=‘~.ustralian higher-priced. better ‘quality meat, would keep cheagier South American meat out of the 'n:=.rkets of the United Kingdom. We favour the exposition of the situation made by the British Meat Committee, for it is not believable that the Imperial ‘Authorities would fiesignfzdly lead Dominion meat-grbwers into any Mrilllgement that was detrimental, when everything taken into consideration. to their very best interests, and in the very best interests of the Dominion as a whole. We hope for some elucidation from the New Zealand Board of Agriculture Conference held last week, and we interestedly await the report of its proceedings.