THE MEAT POOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1922, Page 5

THE MEAT POOL.

VOLUNTARY AT FIRST. WORKING OUT DETAILS. ; COMMITTEE BEGIN'S ITS WORK. By Telegraph.—Press Association.

‘Wellington, Last Night’. The committee set up by the producers’ meeting yesterday to go into details of the scheme for establishing a compulsory meat pool has commenced work. Discussions at the meeting of the committee to-day made it clear that everything necessary for complete organisation to deal with the pool’s business on a sound commercial basis cannot be done at short notice, and meanwhile there will be np interference with current business, whether on a c.i.f. basis or otherwise. This afternoon the committee met representatives of the freezing companies and informed them of the above decision. Certain improvements in the present methods were agreed to by the freezing companies and others suggested are being considered by them.

A VOLUNTARY BASIS. NO COMPULSION YET. (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. The statement issued l?y the produced committee to-night makes it clear that any pooling of meat will be on a vountary basis, pending the arrangement of the details of the scheme for a compulsory pool. The members of the committee recognise that the sudden dislocation of the existing marketing system would not be to the advantage of the producers, and that the trade must be allowed to follow the usual channels for the present in order that this dislocation may be avoided. Just how soon the compulsory pool can be brought into operation is a question that the committee is investigating.

FREEZING. COMPANIES’ VIEW’S. AGREEMENT WITH POOL SCHEME. Wellington, Last Night. The conference of freezing companies’ representatives which met in Wellington on Tuesday was resumed yesterday under the chairmanship of Mr. C. A. De Lautour.

.Pending some approachment from the meat pool Committee the meeting formulated a tentative scheme for the simplification and improvement of the methods of handling meat in New Zealand and London and for reducing the charges in the factories and in transport overseas. At 4.30 p.m the committee was invited to meet the meat pool committee, which had been in session all day. The chairman (Mr. D. Jones) frankly outlined to the freezing companies’ representatives their ideas for handling the difficult question. It then appeared that both parties had been working on almost, parallel lines and that there were really no* differences of opinion between them. A few points were shelved on'both sides for further consideration.

The parties agreed that the appointment of a producers’ board and an auxiliary board in London must be of advantage to the producers and to the Dominion, and that by the elimination from shipment of ail small consignments of meat an immediate pool, in effect compulsory to a very large proportion of the season’s output, could be established. At the same time it was made clear that in spite of all the existing Contracts the large capitals invested in proprietary companies and agencies in New Zealand must be respected, at present at least, and full freedom of operation with absolute security against intervention must be permitted. AMPLE STORAGE EXPECTED. NO MOVE TO INCREASE PRICE. Wellington, Last Night. The meat pool scheme was mentioned in the House this afternoon. Replying to Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki), Mr. Massey said he did not think there would be any difficulty in finding sufficient cold storage for the meat which came into the pool either at this end or in London. He wished to make it clear that there was no proposal to store meat for the purpose of raising the price to the British consumer, but it might be necessary to do so at times to regulate the market. Replying to Mr. J. Craigie (Timaru), Mr. Massey said that if it was possible to do so he would be pleased to put some members of the Opposition on the Parliamentary Committee which is considering the meat pool; possibly Mr. Forbes and Mr. Ngata would be appointed.