BRITISH MEAT TRADE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9158, 4 August 1908, Page 5

BRITISH MEAT TRADE.

COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY

MR WEDDEL APPOINTED A

MEMBER

Received August 3, 8.25 a.m. LONDON, August 2

Mr William Weddel, head of the firm of W. WedJe] and Co., the well-known meat and produce firm, has been appointed a member of the Meat Committee appointed by the President of the Board of Trade to enquire how far and in what manner the general supply and distribution and the price of meat in the United Kingdom is controlled or affected by the combination of firms or companies.

The committee of enquiry is the outcome of allegations that the beef trade in Great Britain is largely controlled from America. Opinions differ as to the nature, extent and effect of the American [operations. Speaking in the House of Commons, recently, Dr Cooper declared that the Meat Trust in Chicago, acting through its agents in practically fixed the price of beef in England, Sir Edward Strachey, representing the Department of Agriculture, held that the operations of the Trust had made meat cheaper in England. Mr F. A. McKenzie, in a recent aeries of articles in the London "Daily Mail" on the operations of the four great American firms, contended that they did not constitute a Trust in the meaning generally placed on the word. "Sixty-three per cent, of the total beef consumed in England is raised at home, 20 per cent, comes from the States, 11 per cent, from South America,and 20 per cent, from Australia," states Mr McKenizei "In Smithfield, however, only 20 per cent, of the producemeat of all kinds, poultry and provisions—is home-grown, 20 per cent, comes from the United States, 26 per cent, from Australia, and 21 per cent, from South America.' In other words, while the Americans only bring in one-fifth of the total beef supply of the country, they have succeeded in Smithfield itself in selling a quantity of American equal to the home-grown How hab this been done? No great trade can be long built up on mere* restrictions. The people who try to explain the American success solely by talking of exclusive dealing should look deeper and study the facts more carefully. The Americans have a good article.They have reduced the cost of transit to a minimum. They make long contracts, sometimes'running over several years, with the shipping companies, and the bare freight cost for their goods from Chicago to London j is only a little over a half-penny a pound. They economise by fully using eveiy by-product In selling t they dispense with as many middlemen as possible, and get right into touch with the retail butcher."