MEAT MARKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 May 1920, Page 5

MEAT MARKET.

END OF THE COMMANDEER. ITS VALUE TO NEW ZEALAND. PROBLEMS OF THE'FUTURE. By Telegraph.—Press Associating I Wellington, Last Night. Addressing' the' Producers' Conference to-day, Mr. Massey said lie had received a cablegram from the Secretary of State intimating that the Imperial Government would not renew the meat commandeer Since March 30, Wis, the producers in jSew Zealand had received illliS,1)00,000 for Imperial supplies, and there were between £8,000,000 and £10,000,000 to come. The New Zealand Government was not going to let the producers down. He knew the opinion of his colleagues, and all of them were concerned in the welfare of the producers. When the Government knew the requirements, to a reasonable extent the guarantee of the Government would be placed behind the producers until the Imperial meat was disposed of. Mr. Massey did not think the Imperial Government would insist on getting all its meat away before our own meat was sent to London. Mr.' Mussey was of opinion that the Imperial Government would place no difficulty in the way of the producers finding other markets for their meat. There would be no objection, so far as he could see, to New Zealand meat going to the United States, but he did object to the Meat Trust getting a hold in this country. The New Zealand Government would place every difficulty in the way of that. He drew the line against any Meat Trust owning works in this country. "UP AGAINST A CRISIS." Mr. Massey said that we were up against a crisis, and he hoped we would be able to arrive at a satisfactory solution. In one cablegram to the Imperial Government he stated that if the congestion at the London docks was not relieved New Zealand producers would sutler such conditions as to cause a financial crfsis. He had asked for insulated uteainers and that the present purchase arrangements should continue until the end of June, 1921. The Secretary of State replied that the Imperial Government was unable to extend the moat agreement. He had protested against the injustice done to New Zealand by the preference to ships from the Argentine. The New Zealand meat stores wero full to their utmost capacity, and only the provision of the greatest amount of refrigerated tonnage would enable the position to be met. He did not think, from the inquiries be bad made, that there was any truth in the statement that Australia had been able to renew its contract with the Imperial Government. Yesterday he was officially advised that the Imperial control over homegrown meat would cease on July 4, and they would have a free market. The High Commissioner had been unable to obtain any definite information as to the prices likely to rule.

SPACE PROSPECTS. MORE THAN REQUIRED. FREIGHT RATES UNCERTAIN. Wellington, Last Night. At the Producers' Conference to-day, Mr. James Finlay (Shaw, Savill Company) said he was unable to give any information as to when fche Imperial Government conti'ol of insulated tonnage would end. Speaking for his own company, he thought there would be ample space available. Mr. J. R., Roper (Commonwealth and Dominion line) said his company's war losses had been replaced by eight larger vessels, and at the end of the year there would be two more. There would be space for 2,653,000 carcases per annum if the ships made two trips a year, but there were many delays which were against that. Mr. G. B. Bullock (New Zealand Shipping Company) said that if the producers could only leave themselves in the hands of the shipping companies he was quite sure they would be absolutely all right.

Mr. Findlay pointed out that after providing space for dairy produce there would be available space for fche carriage of 10,400,000 carcases a year, while New Zealand's production was equivalent to 7,000,000 carcases. There would, in fact, be more space available than could actually be filled. When asked to say something with regard to future freight rates to be charged by the shipping companies, Mr. Findlay said there was not the slightest chance of any information on that point being available at that moment. The shipping companies would endeavor to give producers as cheap a rate as they possibly could. Distance for distance, New Zealand was as cheap as any country in the world, but when it came to saying what freights would be, he muat say no. It was useless to try and corkscrew out of him any opinion at all as to what freights would be. The conference at this stage adjourned for a separate discussion of the particular interests of producers, shipowners, freezing companies, and exporters.