PRODUCE FOR BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1920, Page 8

PRODUCE FOR BRITAIN.

NEW ZEALAND'S POSITION. MEAT IN STORE AND BUTTER PIUO.ES. SIR T. MACKENZIE'S COMPLAINTS. •' London, Dec. 18. New Zealand produce is to-day receiving publicity sueh aa perhaps it never has enjoyed before, and the text for it will almost certainly be found to have been the High Commissioner's remarks at Stafford. Ever since then Sir Thomas Mackenzie has been interviewed or has been writing to the press putting the facts before the public from the viewpoint of New Zealand. Or if the matter has not been referred to by the Food Control Department it has had additional publicity through the pen of Mr. 'Horatio Bottomley. Now Sir Thomas wants to get the stores emptied. To an interviewer he said this week:— "Until recently the New Zealand, American, and Home-grown meat was all lumped together at one price, which, of course, led the New Zealand farmer to resent that his cheaper product should be used as a set-ofi' to balance American and Home-grown foods. But as regards meat this disability is now removed. As now they have liberated so much and taken off so many restraints I personally have no complaint to make on that Beore. '"But levant the stores emptied. Our ships arriving in harbor here with meat and not able to discharge and get back again to New Zealand."

Asked as to the forecast of famine in 1920, Sir Thomas \va3 reassuring. "I think you will have enough meat to keep you going; that is my opinion." FOREIGN BUTTER BENEFITS. As regards butter, which England gets from New Zealand at Is <id per lb. with, say, another 3d added for such butter helping to average clown the price as against Danish butter at 3s—a well-known grievance—Sir Thomas said that 17.000 to 18,000 tons of butter were imported into Britain annually. If they had given a high price for New Zealand butter, he thought more would have been made. As to the quality of l^ T ew Zealand butter, the High Commissioner referred to it as better than Danish, and indicated the efficient hold there was in New Zealand to ensure excellence in all respects. In a letter to the Times last Saturday the High Commissioner wrote: "The price paid to the New Zealand producer was much below its parity value—the cause, undoubtedly, beiii:' that the Home Government controlled the shipping. They paid our people Is 7%d per lb., f.0.b., end for butter of 110 better quality they are paying Denmark 3a per lb. Although the Imperial liovernment pool our butter with the 3s butter, and sell at an average price, the fact remains that it is the profit which they make from the Dominion's produce which enables them to pay the very much higher price to the foreigner." ' "APPALLING BLUNDERS." Mr. Horatio Bottomley cannot reskt the conclusion that the Food -Ministry "has been responsible for a succession of appalling blunders."

"Take the case of meat It is ail very well to tell 11s that there is a perfect glut of imported meat, so that the difficulty is to find the necessary cold storage: but if meat can be had in uuch abundance, why is it necessary to maintain prices at their present level? All that .Mr. Roberts can suggest is that 'in times of plenty control may not he elastic enough to give the public tlio benefit'; but another witness who must be heard is Sir Thomas Mackenzie, the High Commissioner for New Zealand, who confesses liis 'surprise that the cost of living has not been reduced in this country,' considering the 'low prices New Zealand is willing to accept for foodstuffs.' T" 'res given by Sir Thomas will be an eye-opener for British housewives, who have been paying Is Gd per lb. and upwards for the Sunday joint. Beef of the finest quality, he tells us, has been exported from New Zealand at 4V°d to 5d per lb., and mutton at 3%d to 6d. Twopence more a pound ought to have landed it here! This is tlie considered statement of a critic, who surely knows what he is talking' about. No wonder the patience of the public shows signs of wear and tear. "On the other hand, we must not lose sight of the fact that there may be a sinister aspect of the matter for, once get rid of tbe control, and there would be nothing to prevent the Meat Trusts charging any price they like; whilst it is certainly news to me that the 'finest beef' comes from New Z6aland. Altogether, I am afraid the Food Controllers position 19 a very difficult one, but tlie fact must not be allowed to weigh against the necessities of the nation." °