FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1919, Page 6

FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY.

A SERIOUS POSITION. ■ At a meeting of the Feilding A. nnd P. Assn. on Frk'.ay, .Air Hugh Biirrell, chairman of the* Feililing Farmers' Freezing Co,, and also of the N.Z. Associated Co-operative Freezing Companies, said that the outlook "for the producers was most serious (reports the Star). New Zealand now had in store 8,000,000 carcases of frozen mutton. It -would not be possible to lift the eight million carcases during the next three months. Even in pre-war times the shipping could only take away 3,500,000 under the best conditions. But, continued Mr Burrell, that was not the only bad feature. The British Govemment had purchased the New Zealand meat cheaply, and had paid a very high price for the American meat. They were now selling to the public at such prices that would enable them to make uj> on the New Zealand meat what they were losing on the American meat. The prices were so high that tiie people had largely got out of the habit of eating meat. New Zealand wanted to get back its market in Britain. The Freezing Companies urged that the Imperial Government should be requested to place the New Zealand commandeered meat on the "market at a price which would not mean a loss to them (the Imperial Government) nor a profit. The companies objected to the Imperial Government' making a profit out of the New Zealand' meat to pay for the loss on the American meat. The associated freezing* companies had passed the following reso--lution: "That in view of the serious' position likely to arise at the conclusion' •of the Imperial commandeer or New : Zealand meat as set out in the- Rt"ement prepared by Mr W.'J. Poison, ttie 5 co-operation of the Farmers' Treeing Companies in New Zealand is earnestly requested to bring pressure to tear -on the Government to set up a Commißgion of expert producers familiar; the meat business both from ■'■ the 11 Timers' and the Freezing Companies* i>int~of view, to proceed to England instigate the position at Home, and, if possible, arrange for the future distribution of our meat; and further to endeavor to induce the English authorities to place our meat on the market without profit or loss to the Imperial Government. The committee appointed supported this resolution, which is to be forwarded to all A an.d, P. Associations in the Dominion.