The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 1921. THE MEAT TRUST.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1921, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 1921. THE MEAT TRUST.

We have on more than one occasion expressed our dissent from the attitude adopted by the Government in regard to Armour and Co. We yield to no one in our objection to meat or any other trust methods, whereby legitimate trade rivalry is crushed into subservience to the dollar which an unfortunate public is sooner or later forced to provide. Does any sane person imagine, however, that there is any possibility of such arising in New Zealand if Armour and Co. are allowed to export meat to Europe as well as to America? There is only one way in which Trust methods can prevail, and that is by obtaining control of the raw supplies. In New Zealand the actual owners of many of the freezing works are also the owners of the stock to be treated there, and it is inconceivable that they would deliver their co-operative works into the hands of any Trust. Moreover, the Gov-' eminent is not logical. If the action against Armour and Co. is not “arbitrary and discriminatory”— and Sir Francis Bell assures the American Government it is not—why are other firms with worldwide tentacles allowed to do business in New Zealand so long as they conform to New Zealand laws, as Armour and Co. are prepared to? On this condition it seems to us that there is as little chance of Armour and Co. dominating the meat trade of New Zealand as there is, let us say, of the Nestle milk combine dominating the Taranaki dairy industry. What New Zealand wants to-day is every market she can find for her produce, and that as early as possible. Last week we published a very plain-spoken article from the London representative of One of our largest co-operative meat works in the country. His warning was that the outlook for frozen meat is anything but cheerful, and the majority of pastoralists know that only too well. Never was the time more inopportune for blocking a possible outlet for our produce than to-day. If there was the slightest indication of Trust methods being applied to New Zealand, the producers have it well within their power to prevent their application. In Australia, where both Armour and Swifts are established under Australian laws, there has been no domination of the trade, but there has been a decided increase in its scope. Increased scope means the expenditure of increased capital, and it would seem unwise to refuse Armour and Co., or any other firm, the opportunity of utilising its capital for the benefit of an industry capable of tremendous development, and capable, we believe, of resisting any insidious attempt to make it a mere appenoi a foreign combine.