MEAT AT HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1920, Page 5

MEAT AT HOME.

BRITISH PURCHASES. DETAILS OF ALL SOURCES. THE PATAGONIAN PURCHASE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night, Mr. Massey lias received the following telegram from the High Commissioner, dated London, February 17th: — With reference to your telegram of February !), 1 am informed by the Board o'f'Trade that the following-quan-tities of meat were lauded in the United Kingdom during the four months October, 1919, to January, 1920: From the United States of America.— 4720 tons beef; 97 tons mutton and lamb. Frotn South America.—Bl,B4o- ■ tons beef; 13,449 tons mutton and lamb. From Australia.—lß,4o2 tons beef; 21,719 tons mutton and lamb. From New Zealand.—l 2,292 tons beef; r>2,flßl tons mutton-and lamb.

The figures quoted above represent the following percentages of the total imports:—United States, 2J per cent; South America, 38.7 per cent.; Australia, 20.7 per cent.; JWw Zeafajid, 3&0 per cent. The Prime Minister hits also received the following telegram from the High Commissioner:'— "It was reported In the Press' hero that the Imperial Government had completed the purchase of the whole of tiie Patagonian meat output for 1020, amounting to 1,200,000 carcases at .Id to 0d per lb. I approached the Board of Trade, who inform me that no new contracts havp been entered into, but that the Board of Trade are purchasing Patagonian meat under arrangements made in 191", whereby they agreed to purchase such quantities as they could provide tonnage for. /The newspaper paragraphs apparently are due to the fact that the allocation of tonnage for the present season has just now been made. This is taken from the Argentine trade, and is said to be 50,000 tons more than last year."

FARMERS DISCUSS SITUATION. STORES SHOULD BE CLEARED, Masterton, Last Jught, There was a largo aiid representative gathering of farmers on the Mastcitfon Showground to-day, when addresses] on the meat and the shipping questions were given by Mr. A. D. McLeod, Ml'., Mr. J. C. Cooper (managing director of the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company), and Sir Walter Buchanan. The lastnamed condemned the proposal of the Meat Commission, which he did not consider was composed of men with sufficient knowledge of shipping and business.

The following resolutions were unani-> raously carried:— . .

That the Government be required to make arrangements that the producers are represented on any conference to fix shipping freights on frozen meat, wool ;wd dairy produce. That this meeting emphatically protests against tiie hide embargo, as it ifl a class taxation on. farmers to benefit a feW farmers, and of no benefit to consumers. Y,

That this meeting urges the Government to leave nothing undone to see that tho. New Zealand stores are cleared of Imperial nivned meat before the start of the 1020-21 season. That the Dominion President, of tho Farmers' Union and the Sheepowners' Federation make arrangements to have returns called through their organisations to elect delegates at once to a conference in Wellington to elect a permanent committee of six or eight members to keep in constant touch with the Government in dealing with the meat and shipping question.