WOOL AND MEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1921, Page 7

WOOL AND MEAT.

INFORMATION ABOUT PRICES. MR, MASSEY DRAWS A MORAL. A suggestion that the Prime Minister should ask the Imperial authorities by cablegram what were the exact quantities of wool and meat held in New Zealand, afloat and in Britain, was made in the House of Representatives by Mr. W. D. Lynsar (Gisborne), who Raid that the information would be of value to the producers. If {here was much of the Imperial produce still on hand, the Government ought to make strong representations to the Imperial authorities with the object of having tfie stuff realised as soon as possible. The Prime Minister replied that he would be glad to comply with the request. He had received a few days ago a cablegram from the High Commissioner stating, among other things, that the slump in meat prices, in Britain was due particularly to two reasons. One reason was that some months ago there were shipped from New Zealand a large number o f earcases of mutton and lamb for the United States. Tt has been stated that a good market existed there. But something appeared to have gone wrong with the American market, and much of this meat, instead of being disposed of in the United States, was being sent on To London. A member : Perhaps the American producers got it pushed out. Mr. Massey : There are strong factors in America besides the producers. Anyway, a large quantity of this meat has gone to the London market. Then Vestey Brothers, who are not connected with the Meat Trust, purchased a large quantity of beef in this country from the Imperial Government. It was meat that li*ad been bought by the Imperial Government and paid for. That beef was intended to be sold in Central Europe, particularly in Germany, but again a market failed, and. that meat has been sent to London or is being sent there. This beef, mutton, and lamb is being sold in Britain in competition with the meat direct from New Zealand, and in consequence the trade naturally look for a considerable reduction of prices. Mr. Massey added that the causes he had mentioned undoubtedly had depressed prices. But he believed that within a few months the Dominion would get over the difficulty and that the market for New Zealand meat in Britain would get back to normal. The moral of the position was that the Government and the producers of New Zealand should cultivate the British market, and not pay too much attention to other markets. He believed that alternative markets were desirable things, but the Dominion ought to look to the British market first. When the British market was not able to take everything that the country produced theh other markets could be used.