MEAT AT HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1920, Page 5

MEAT AT HOME.

A TEMPORARY GLUT. RESULT OF ACCUMULATIONS. By Teleeraph. *-Press Assn.—Copyrleht. Received Feb. 5, 1.45 a.m. , , London, Feb. 3Mr. C. A. McCurdy (Secretary to the Food Ministry), addressing meat retailers, admitted there was a temporary glut of Colonial meat, as it was necessary to bring Home vast purchases in Australia and New Zealand, which the submarine campaign prevented during the war. It was not true that meat went bad, but there was delay in unloading it and passing it into consump-tion.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. BRITISH POLICY CONDEMNED. DISADVANTAGE TO NEW ZEALAND, Wanganui, Last Night. A correspondent just returned from England writes to the Herald, saying that the Imperial Government has been dumping Argentine and Brazilian meat into England ever since the armistice, and he points out a glut is timed exactly with the removal of the commandeer.

"We are to be panicked into letting Britain resume the commandeer, which is one of the biggest bluffs ever worked on our loyalty and forbearance," the writer says. "Meat which England has hoarded is almost uneatable, while ours is of high quality."

The writer declares there has never been a shortage of shipping to justify the treatment meted out, and England has had ample shipping to bolster up her interests in the Argentine, and also to open up fresh channels in Europe, and has also shipping lying idle in her dock 3.

The contributor further declares that England has been the biggest meat trust of the war, and favors American firms in preference to us. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER.. . THE ALLEGATIONS DENIED. Wellington, Last Night. Commenting on the Wanganui Press Association message about the meat commandeer, Mr. Massey said that from his own knowledge he could say that the statement that the Imperial Government was still bringing Argentine and Brazilian meat into England was contrary to fact. "VThis man says," Mr. Massey continued, "that we are to be panicked into an acceptance of the commandeer for a further term. The answer to that statement is that the British Government has of its own volition given notice that the commandeer i 9 to be stopped from June 30th. As for the statement that England has given American firms preference, that is contrary to fact, and I can say this of my own knowledge. It was quite true that meat was brought from the United States at the tim 4 that- American troops were coming over, and this meat was bought at a very much higher price than that paid to New Zealand producers, but otherwise nothing of the sort here suggested has occurred. Men were at that time neede dabove all other requirements, and ships which brought men from America were used to carry meat also."