FROZEN MEAT MUDDLE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3484, 12 May 1920, Page 5

FROZEN MEAT MUDDLE.

VAST STORES IN DANGER.

FOOD CONTROLLERS’ MISCAL

CULATIONS.

Under the above headings the Sun“ day Post, of Glasgow, recently. eontuined almost sensational article 0.1 the food glut. at Home, and the demand for a reduction in price. The article proceds as follows:—— 'l‘here is evidently another first-class muddle in the mutton mystery that calls for explunatTon. Briefly the facts are as follows: The cold storage depots of the Thames are alrnost. bu_rsling with supplies of New Zealand and other meat. Much ‘of it is going bad. More cargoes of meat are held up in the river, five million carcases are ready for shipment by Juue——yet not only is the public made to pay 1/4. per il) for mutton that cost. Giéd in 191%, but Mr l\lcCurdy told the Food Coinmittees so recently as Deceillbel- that a. meat. shortage might occur. The public is being kept oif mutton by resirictive prices, just when it ought to have plenty.ot‘ meat at. lower prices. There is mutton eV"erywhere. The cold store sheds atthe London docks are bursting with it,, the ships waiting to unload have thousands of carcases to deliver. The docks are storing SOO,UOO tons 0t general merchandise now, us conipared with 400,000 tons in 191-1. Twice as much meat is being lauded as is being consumed, and great reserves which were piled up in many months, even years ago, remain untouched. Those who know say that unless the Government alters its policy much of it t-\'eimi:llly“’ will be peon<lenl‘n.ed. I I '

FOOD QON'J.‘ROLLER’S MISCAL CULATIONS.

Sir Thomas Mackenzie, the ‘High Clolnnl'lssiollcr for New Zealandi, asycribes the present deadlock to the_ilisufiicient colcl lvstoragc‘ accommodation in this country, and to the nlfscalcu—lotions of the Food Controller in regarcl to meat supplies last year. '

In an interview with a press repre-' sentative, Sir Thomaé said: “It seems that» the Food Controller_ came, to the conclusion that there was likely to be" (1 meat shortage. I cannot. understancl how he arrived at that opinion,..be-. cause those of us who were familiar with the flocks and herds of other countries knew that immediately shipping becruuo available this country would have as much meat. as it could

The High 'Conlmis<sion.-02‘ for New Zcalanr‘. asserts that Vthu nliscalculationsof the Food Confrol, and our‘absurdedly insufficient cold storage, threaten to damage seriously the great trade‘ which New Zealanr has been building up for thirty years.

Unusual interest is being taken at Smithfield and other meat gtrade centres in the speech to be delivered by Sir Auckland Geddes, President of the Board of Trade. at the complimentary banquet to Sir Thomas Robinson, Director of Meat Supplies. It is expected that Sir Auckland will make an o_fficial statement concerning ‘the Government’s attitude towards the glut of colonial mutton, and it is possible that he will refer to the Grovernment.’s rec._ei_rt phirchase of Patagonian meat. ‘ REDUCING THE PRICE. ‘ €‘»lt is an open secret that the Government are anxious to relieve the glut by reducing the price, thereby automaticejly stimulating the consumption of colonialmeat,” said one of the largest importers at Smithfield.