The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1920. UNCERTAIN MEAT MARKETING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3463, 17 April 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1920. UNCERTAIN MEAT MARKETING.

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

In only two months the control of New Zealand meat by the Imperial A.uthol‘itiCs will cease by eifluxion of time, yet meat-growers are still kept in doubt as to whether they have to adapt thenlselves’to a free market, or whether the requisition will be renewed. Farmers are difiering among‘ themselves, some favouring a. renewal of Imperial purchase, others opposing it, but the indications are that the party favouring Enpcrial purchase is rapidly becoming much more numerous. Naturally enough, English middlemen are supporting"Thc demand for tree market, and one of their chief arguments is that it would force the Government in Britain to rush stored meat On to the market at whatever price it would fetch. They are virtually urging that stored New Zealand meat be forced on to the market by the men who grew it, regardless of any loss the Imperial Authorities might sustain. But the most serious feature for Britain is that if the hinge stores of meat in Britain and New Zealand purchased by the British Government are rushed on the market for whatever it will fetch in its store-stale condition, how would it affect -the market for the new season’s free meat? It is painfully obvious that control of food must continue in Britain for some time to come, and that time will be Very largely dependent on America’s attitude towal'ds the Peace Treaty and League of Nations which the American President committed his country to. Germany is also holding back reconstruct_ion of trade in the World’s food supply by constantly wriggling to avoid paying the penalty of her great crime. Russiais apparently anxious to commence trading in food and other products on a large scale, and the thousands of tons of hides being ready for shipment from Russian ports, probably has something to do with the recent, quasi-slump in the New Zealand hidelmarket. However, nothing warrants any dependence on Russia for food, excepting exportable wheat, for some time to c'6ine. It is reported that no butter is being received in Britain from. Siberia, but that must not be taken to mean that Russia has not a large surplus for export, the probabilities being that much of it is finding its way by rail to Germany. This Dominion need not exhibit any concern about its exportable butter, for it ‘is evident requisition prices will show a considerable increase on those received hitherto. Cheese-makers are not on so good a market as they were during the war, and there is now no demand that warrants its control in Britain, theretfort it is questionable whether it would not be more profitable to revert to butter-making in factories tllat changed to cheese while markets were more profitable for cheese their 'for butter. But the great problem now is meat, is it in the Best interests of farmers that the Imperial purchase should be "continued, or should free markets be determined upon? It should be realised that a great injury might arise from’ putting fresh meat on the British market. as it. would Gompel the Imperial authorities to Empty meat stores as rapidly as possible; 1501' S 0 long‘ as fresh meat was available no one wouldipurchasc the stale stored meat. By insisting an 3 free market would not New Zeaignd if-"Pal'mt(!rs -hie hassiiting the American rus. to 1g 1:. he Im"crial co which is undoubtedly prequisitentltblr’

some time to come to ensure proper

feeding of all classes, poor as well as? rich? Would not ‘handing all meatl over to micldlenien tend. to liastci: on a sleeping revolution which, with judicious treatment may never awaken. Should the ‘ slumber-ing monster ever awake it will. extend throughout 1110 whole Empire, and possibly throughout the whole world. The .lmperial authorities have decided that continuation of food control is necesSal“_Y, and there is nothing, absolutely ilothillg, in sight for this 'Donlinion’s meat better, more sure, or more profil; able than a ~continuance of the Imperial requisition. Wc have steadfastly maintained that the Dominion ’s meat should and would be subject to Imperial purchase for at least another year from next June; we saw nothing but, marketing chaos for meat and nothing the advocates for free markets have .said has changed our views in the slightest; degree, in fact, they have, when analysed, confirmed our opinions, and it is probable that when arrangements for continuance are sought farmers will decide to accept what is shown ‘to be fair to them and just to the British people. Farmers will have noticed that nfiddlemen, and the Meat Trust never lose an opportunity of in,troducing and parading the South American meat bogey. At. -the present lmoment thefy are asking how the Inilperial Authorities can 11098 E 0 3911 their stale stored meat against the ‘bright, new, fresh meat that is a.rriv'ing from South America, but so long !as this Dominion makes control practicable there i's"h”(Tchance_ of N ew~Zealand meat being sacrificed by allowing it to get into Trust clutches. It seems the question farmers have to decide is whether they willplace themselves aid their meat unreservedly in the clutches of the Trust, or whether they will continue to leave themselves in the care of the British Government. Has the Imperial Government done anything to forfeit their confidence On the other hand, what has the 'frust, or middleman, done for them to cause them to break away from Government purchase’? Such questions need no Fanswer; farmers have ‘had no marketing troubles under the requisition; they have enjoyed every facility in ldclivcry; payment has been prompt and sure, but what isguarantecd if they walk out.into .a chaotic darkness of free markets As-=a matter of fact [there are no stable markets, everything is unstable and shifting; everyLwhere is exigence and exp'ediency—two very rotten props for'nlAeVa_t-grow-ers to lean upon. However annoying ,4 it may be t=o have New! Zealand storage lsomewhat congested, it must not be presumed that the British‘ Government is holding large stocks out of pure cussedncss, or to niaim the source from which the meat was obtained. It ‘largely falls upon Britain to see that ‘people in Allied Countries and also in defeated countries are ‘kept from. i starvation as far as possible; Britain ’s ‘ foreign markets are to be nursed into 1 full health again to-“enable all the Empire’s produce being marketed to the best advantage, and in order -to open up rich sources -of many raw materials r and of wheat in which the Empire is not selfsupporting. It is stupid to allow ourselves to be cajolod into the idea that the British authorities are [not -w.orl':"ing'an(l acting according to plan, and with some definite object in view. Britain is not buying meat for the pure purpose of allowing it to rot in stores, but to listen to the advo--1 cates for free markets one would think iso. It seems impossible to suggest even any better and safer marketing than farmers enjoy under the commandeer, the only questionable aspoca‘ is that of price, an advance is warranted aud the Imperial Autlroi-ifios ,will, we believe, be agreeable to pay lizlrat. which is reasonable and just to flbuyer and seller. Nothing has been said since February about continuing lthe requisition, after next June, by lthc Imperial Authorities, such silence about so important a. m:r.tf(‘l‘ .-emns ‘ significent, and it will be surprising if ‘;farmers are not called to action with lrcspect. to Future meat marketing‘ at a lvery early date, and we believe they will almost unanimously consent to a renewal of the commandeer, with an iiicrease of price.