THE MEAT OUTLOOK.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3500, 31 May 1920, Page 7

THE MEAT OUTLOOK.

The Prime Minister’s speech at the E:»)‘.‘)Ql‘.lllg‘ of the Pr.oclucel's’ Confereiicc In.znm‘e(l at least one of the many gunxieties under which the conference mboui-ed. In placing the guarantee of {the (.io\_'ol'nnlent behind meat exportx D ers in their passing financial difficulty, -.\.[r,.,= Massey has taken a step which should meet with unhcsitating and unanimous approval. It is possible that ordinary banking facilities may ‘not cover a situation in which large accumulations of meat. must be held an indefinite period for an uncertain market. A credit may be required more elastic than thc'_7usual instruments of commerce provide and the support of the ’l‘l'e-usury should, within prudent limts, be plz1(:0Ll ill} the (lisposal of producers. To refuse it would (be to invite the financial crisis of ‘which Mr Massey has spoken in his representations to the Illlpol‘iill GOVcrnment. It is probable that the credit of the State need not be deeply pledged ‘to tide over the eniergency. Moat gro\,\'el's as a class are not without resources and if they receive the (30l1Sl(lCI'{1llOI1 from the Imperial Government to which they are entitled, their emba.rl‘asslnent will be merely a 'f‘empo.rary one. Finance is, howievcr, only one of a number of p‘-.'(): l blems associated with the sale of New lZer.«.lalnl_ meat (;.'ll ‘the expiration of the requisition.. With the .l?.rlg2‘li:~'h [market gltltted and stores ovel'flowing, ithc New Zealand stores congest-.e.cl, the Producers’ C-enterenco faces 5.\ :~'itu:l- - which, on first examination. ap-

pears to be as forbidding as has arisen since the introduction of I'efl'igel‘a.ting processes revolutionised :the position of New Zealand as a piwoducing country. In these eiiitunistaiices the Producers’ Conference will probably turn its eyes to other markets. New

avenues, including the United States, may be exploited, but the principal outlet. for New Zealand meat must continue to be sought in Britain, and the l:o—opel'at,ion of" the Imperial Government must be relied upon in negoiating a difiicult period. The extent to which the British -authorities are themselves responsible for the dimeulty will be realised from Mr Massey’s estimate that at the end of the year there will be between 2,000,000 and 3,000,000 carcascs of the requisition_ period still in store in New Zealund. This means that. the British Govbrnment. will even then be liolrling a veryilarge proportion of the Dominion’s cold storage accommodation. A handicap s-0 severe makes the market to the producer only nominally free. The conference is well within its right in einphasising strong‘ly New Zea_land’s claim to all the I'efl'igel‘:'lt<‘(l toniiago that can he sent to these w:itel's and to a waiving of the British Government’s right to lift. all its own purchases before space is found for “free” meat.—N.Z. Hemhl.