Mr Seddon's Cold Shoulder

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 38, 15 February 1904, Page 2

Mr Seddon's Cold Shoulder

SHOPS v. AI)Y JOUTJ SEAIENTS, WHY TilE PLAN WON'T ANSWEU. (LouikSoii liaily News, Dot 1 . :iL.) Wv liHAc rcreivod a copy <jl' an oflidal ib.-.-uiiiL'nl winch uiakt-s it clitur why littk* or nothing lias fj<H"n heard laU'ly oi' Mr Soditkyiu's ItuU'htns' wlityjs, which wen*, so the story ran, to Imvo hern 'dolU'il all owr London anid Un* country. The paper iu is t.ho report of Mie NVw ZouJanxl Kixtensioui oi' Commerce Committee on tin- I'ro/en nival trad<of tin* coUmy. Last .July, it may he recalled, the New '/calami I House of Uepies-enla-tives appointed a committee to in--line into the )ii»st. nuuns (if promoting 'Hie commerce o'f the colony a:iul thv stile of -the colony's proU-ucls in new markets. To this commit to.* was renriUrd the intimate of the capital I'i'lj}iired to tit up depols for IJIO sale of New ZieaWihid meat in "a !ari>p ccn'tre 01' popul'at ion" ill this count ry. Alter submitting a mass ot statistics dealing Willi the extent of the trade. and giving sugg:estions of interest, mainly to trailers concerned, the report deals with the Produce Conuiri.Kioner's suggestion ''that shops .'.l.iii l'il he established in the towns oi Great Britain containing over a l.'.i'nidrud thousand in population i'oi' the sale of Si'iv Zealand meat, as an advertisement to illustrate the sm>eriorit,v of tlws colony's lunA< awl mutton." It is interesting to read that The scheme submitted by the COlll- - was, he alleged, not in accordance with that proposed by the I'remier (vvliich was mil placed before the comnvittee). On it. the Coniniisnioirer declined to exj-jress nil opinion. Very full evidence was- taken as to five propriety or otherwise of the Omwritiiiutrt establishing the retail trade of New /jenland meat in the limited Kingdom. It ivas> alleged by the Coniinii's'sioner, among other reasons, that the srh'emp was renderetl necessary because, in the Midla nd« omul tiie Nort.h, Hie tnwle in New Zealand meat, beyond a linu drawn east ami west, lifty liiili-s north of London was inlinitesiinal. After hi-nring lli<> "iMlvcrtiscmeivl." scheniw the co'iinii'ittev decided tivat there were other a:nid better ways of advlertiswig, and that it, was "not expedient" to open shops as suggested. In connection with Hiis decision, the following fiwjls are revealed by the report : That New- Zealand Is not likely to -have ail increased outp'liit, in the near future ; and that Ajge.ntiin'a, New Zealand's great rival in the mutton trade, must be conwideiod in any pro;) /e-.ul of tivat kiwd. The committee point out that New Zealand's area of g-ood land is limited, while thuk of the Argentine is practikully uinlimfted; farm vva'gies in \'ew Zealand, 110' minullv £."> per month ; in the Argentine, X2. Our disUncc from Hritisß markets, nominally lii.oiio milvs ; Ai'f>imtino, 7,(nto miles. I'n.si'iil flocks in New Zealand 19,ill the Argenitine, 100,000,OOtl Kxjioits of sheep and lamb from New Zraland, .lamraiT to September, 1 !X>.'i, :i,980,000 ; same period from till' Argentine, 2,:W8,tM10. Ai-greline ipiiality : The evinhnce showed that the Argrivtine (puility wns steadily improving ; some witrwsNes contending that the best, Argeivtine was eipuil to North Island, Otago, nml Soutiilar.d brajids. Argenti'ne iias for some time hack practically dom.iimtod British hard-meat market. When she raises prices, ours mhance j when slm rculuccs, New ! Zealat.i i( falls in syii]|.athy. hVunntarisiiv live position, the committee I mil : That tiiii Nc\>" Zealand meat trade is iu a healthy condition : that our . products are widely distributed ; that the New'/('aland growers are at present, receiving satisfactory returns for meat, the prices for 1002-M being) the highest n rmml foy llio past, nine years ;'that. N»w '/<. ;Ua;nd has, for a time at least j reached her limit of output ; that it is qf the first importance that sim should devote her- , sell to mair/'Utiiifng and improving i her (quality ; that New /,'eulu.i d cau uasily i)l,ace her whole present Ollt" I>iil ut ivasoiujhlc; rates ; ami that, as sic\v /y.»al;\ii'.l and ina alike ' iuv do(fini? \vd.', t'iu 1 l-ijnv doos not appiear oi«jin'tuni.', nor 'Joes it appear to iHi neevssary, to waluiv c.n syKliejin of rivalry >ith a . couutiy wliuw meat satislicK many of our customers, and which,, in ensu of sowe oTjmpulit.ion, can afford to' seli at,a ]»rolit at much low--1 or rates than can he done by us. 1 fn U'W opinion of the committee'l he inevitable ull'ect of the establishment of shops would Ihj severe conip.'iition tt'i'th Aii^ L 4i'tjhH\ ami. a certaini fall in viilik'S. But what has this in the » iiscal problem—the King Charles' Head of pri'sent-day politics? The Britr»li lyulcher does not want the Competition' t/fat nu'cL him if New Zvttlaml opened rival shops. It is Aj'gcJiuma who |>revenls Air iieUdon doini; - this, and; if Mr (,'hambeiluiji adruitUd his purpose und 1 kepi Argentina out. by a tarilT wall, Now Zealand would come in more ' abundantly through the tarilT gate. And what would the home butcher say thon ?