The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1920. A MEAT TRUST OFFER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3439, 19 March 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1920. A MEAT TRUST OFFER.

With which is incorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News.”

It is beyond doubt that Australasian meat is not receiving fair play in Britain. From time .to time it is stated by cable that Australasian meat is held up for longdperiodsr while later arriving meat from South‘ America is landed and pu-t'.”"u'pofl the market, and it is now pointed out that such serious deterioration is resulting that it is questionable whether Commonwealth and Dominion Ineat7'ean ever regain the reputation for ihighestsquality it héla before the War. If this Dominion’s High Commissioner and his expensive staff ‘cannot exercise that influence with the Imperial Government which wouldsecure better treatment it is strong evidence that a commission of farmers, such as that elected at .the Farmers’ ‘Union and Sheepowners’ Association Conference, should be despatched in haste to urge improvement -before conditions become virtually stereotyped and incapable of alteration. It is clear that American meat people have got -the Imperial authorities on their side; New Zealand and the Australian Commonwealth have the shipping ‘combine arrayed against them in full force, why, there is no occasion to state, and it -has been Well proven that the shipping combine is staunchly helping on the American Meat Trust in every way possible. Virtually "isolated in his efforts, how is the country’s High Commissioner going to stand against su'ch forces‘? There is one fact, however, which is not explained, Mr Mackenzie has never kept the New Zealand Government fully advised of his helplessness, or, if he has, the Government hasynot passed it on to the producing c:omnrum_ity. This jolrrnG_l has consistently urged that the meat requisition should be continued till 1921; the evidence so Strongly supported the view that there were no markets that could be depended upon, that the meat business was rather in a chaotic condition. Added to this-was the bad repute of Australasian meat ‘resulting from keeping it years even in cold store, while American meat was going on to the market in an almost

fresh condition. The quality from a carcasc viewpoint has always been in Australasian favour; but good ourcases in an advanced stage of deterioration eonst‘itntes- a very questionable recommendation. New Zealand needs another year of requisitioned meat to give time to organise and estabilish a fully dependable market, otherwise, ~despité‘wll:lt meat people in Britain say about being able to place the meat, marketing will be nothing more than a lucky-hag operation for a very long. time to come. There are no stable ma'rkets at present beyond the requirements of Britain; America will purchase stored meat, chiefly to sell again; AmeriCans will also purchase fresh meat as a matter of business enterprise, but is this peddling a bit here and a bit. there by producers conducive to establishment. of a permanent market at good permanently dependable pr‘iees“.7- We do not think so. Americans have no idea whatever of entering‘ into any permanent arran;rement for New Zealand meat, while million.-: of acres of pasturagze on their eontinent are covered with sheep owned lgv .=\nleriearl people. C'onsump*tion of i\'<-2-.' Zealzinrl meat will be most exteri-vi‘-‘e in Britain. I*‘r:m(.'e, and sumo c,‘-:l.er I7.lll'oneane.ml Azsintic nations, e-fml it is to this country-'.< ".',:C-st inter==:rt~< to start now with "all the ita-

fluence that can bebrought to bear to establish a meat Monroe Doctrine in 011S'tiI1g by ' every possible means American meat from British Empire markets. New Zealand farmers know that it is bad business to send , their meat to America, while America is supplying Britain with meat to such an extent tha-t meat‘ ships from Australasia Callnot- secure tierthing space; they Know that they are contributing to the building up of a marketing system whereby their meat will only reach Britain and -the European icontillont Via America, and the American Meat Trust. They are doing it because their own Government, with its costly office in London, are doing nothing towards rescuing their products from the indiscriminate meat marketing muddle drifted into under the presence of Meat Trust" influence continually at the elbow of the meat control authorities ‘in Britain. The Imperial authorities are a party to the admitted destruction of markets for New Zealand meat. A cablegram received yesterday ’states expressly that “until past -stocks of old meat have been disposed of that good character earned before the war by-fresh Australian and New Zealand frozen meat cannot be fully redeemed.” It is further stated that little progress will be made in the disposal of meat until it is offered wholesale at nearer fourpence than sixpence per polllld- AS the American Men tTrust has control of the retail trade in Britain, who are the wholesalers who are plainly telling farmers their meat must be sold wholesale at fourpence a pound? Does it not appear as ‘fhough the Americans have pushed such huge supplies Of American meat into Britain as to enable them to corner the market, keeping Australasian meat out unless the holders of it are prepared to sell to them at less than what farmers received for it? Who is responsible for American—owned meat getting into Britain while Australasian meat is held up in stores at both ends, as well as in ships lying in port? Producers in ‘New Zealand are virtually faced with a proposition from the wholesalers in Britain——-the Meat Trust—to sell -their meat ‘to wholesaleis at fourpence a pound, or it can remain in store and‘ rot, robbing Australasian-meat of the high character ,it had earned, to be filched by the miserable tcaircases from America, ownedby these same wholesalers. Will New Zealand‘ producers and their Government now realise that they have not only been robbed of their markets, -but also of their character, the good name their meat had earned‘? This pouurtrays the sort. of market some misguided people would rush New Zealand meat on to. Wholesalers are waiting for it. at fourpence a pound in Britain, shipping and all other charges inclusi,-ve. If the Imperial authorities extend the requisition for another year the time given for New Zealanders to find a stable market will be all too short. We contend, as we have consistently contended, that farmers slfould secure reliable information for themselves by sending to Britain the commission elected at a conference of meat-growers, and they should bringunited pressure to bear on the Government to'have a State line of shipping, if they wish to avoid their meat" reaching market via America, and the Meat Trust. The offer of fourpence a. pound ought to be sufficient evidence that wholesalers have got a more tenacious and extensive hold of the meat market than farmers are led to believe. If meatgrowers are satisfied with fourponce, loss expenses, they will sell their meat to the trust. although that would mean a corresponding drop in all their products. The wliolesalers who can control combine shipping can control the markets for everything that is produced in these _lslands, and it is about time, when fourpence -.1 pound is offered for this cou'ntry’s ineat from store or ship i.n London. that some definite action was taken to avert. what may develop into a calamity. The fourpence offered for meat in store is a perfectly reliable indication of the price that wholesalers will give New Zealand farmers now that Hloll‘ CODt1"01 is becoming more assured, and this is the marketing farmers are being craftily urged to adopt after flflth June next.