THE PRICE OF MEAT—OPENING THE PORT.

West Coast Times, Issue 67, 7 November 1865, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE PRICE OF MEAT— OPENING THE PORT.

On Saturday last a meeting was held ■at the Corinthian Hall at 1 p.m., for the purpose of taking into consideration tho surest method to be adopted to induce the Government to throw open tho Port of Hokitika for the free importation of cattle. The hall was crowded, and tho utmost attention and order prevailed, and apparently the greatest interest was displayed in the proceedings. Mr Prosser being unanimously voted to the chair, opened the meeting by explaing the motives, by which those who •convened it were influenced. The subject had been already discussed at a former period by tho Improvement Committee, who had taken action in the matter, but no good had yet resulted through that action, the answer received having been most unsatisfactory. He was glad to see such interest displayed by the public — it was a certain indication of the urgency of the movement they wero adopting. Tho Government must coincide with thoir views or else be compelled to. He should call upon Mr Rowley to move tho first resolution. Mr Ilowley prefaced his remarks by expressing Ms surprise at the absence of business men from tho meeting, for the introduction of cheap meat was a matter of as much importance to them as to the digger. Animalfood being an absolute neoessity'to the hard-working man, if it was not rendered more attainable than it had been, we should very soon have no population at all ; for it was quite impossiblo that a man could stand the fagging of a West Coast campaign unless ho had the power to obtain a sufficiency of animal food. During tho short period he had been living in Hokitika he had seen the necessity of prompt action in this as well as in other matters, and felt sure that if tho government were properly petitioned they would gain their end. He himself felt the utmost interest in the movement, and trusted the result would be favorable to the amelioration of their position, hemmed in as they were by the sea on one side, and the boundary lino of pleuro-pneumonia on the other. Ho should now propose the following resolution :— " That, as tho ports havo not yet been opened, in accordance with the request of the Improvement Committee, and the promise of tho Provincial Secretary, this meeting is of opinion that it is urgently necessary the Superintendent should take immediate stops for the opening of the same, in accordance with the precent established by Otago under similar circumstances." Mr. North seconded the resolution, which on being put to the meeting, was unanimously carried. Mr. M'lntyre, of the firm of Morison, Law and Co., was induced to conic forward on this occasion through tho absence of cheap food on the West Coast ; and one of the principal causes of tho scarcity was closed ports. The embargo was laid on for no other purpose than to preserve tho herds of the province from pleuro-pneumonia, at least, so said the people on the other side of tho range. For his part, however, he considered it was done to put money in tho pockets of Christchurch squatters, and originated in the significant policy of a stingy, close-fisted government. It was however absurd to suppose that the importation of cattle here would prove detrimental io the health of Christchurch flocks and herds, as the cattle so imported would never find their way overland, or have an opportunity to do so, for a short time only would elapse after their arrival ero they were slaughtered. The Canterbury Government permit tho landing of dead but not live cattle ; the consistency of such a policy was evident when it was considered that cattle could be shipped for this port from a tainted district, and although not allowed to bo landed living, could be slaughtered on board and then sent on shore, without the slightest opposition on the part of the authorities. He could vouch for the accuracy of this statement, having made particular enquiries on the subject. This he was told was the law, albeit he should consider it merely a legal fiction ; still, as the law, it was proper we should obey it ; but such a law had no right to have ever been made, and the sooner it was repealed the better. He knew one gentleman who, in the event of the port being declared open, was prepared to supply butchers at such a figure as would enable them to sell good meat at the rate of Bd. aud 9d per lb. (applause), and the firm with which he had the honor to be connected, had herds of cattle in Southland they could afford to sell at £9 and £10 a head, and make a handsome profit by them (applause, and cries of " send them over here then.") But no, that would not suit the Canterbury gentlemen, who were not only determined we should eat their meat, but that we should pay for it nlso with a vengeance. We certainly had been made to pay a heavy penalty for colonising the West Coast, ■which penalty was a barefaced swindle on the part of Christchurch, who had given us nothing in return for it ; our highways and hospital being a disgrace to the province, and as for the entrance to tho river the less said about it for their sakes tho better, for it was a practical comment upon the misrule of which we have such good reason to complain (cheers). No, the overland road was of more importance to them than our paltry local wauts, aud tliey naturally

studied their own interests before ours, which were diametrically opposed to those of Christchurch. The speaker hero alluded to a conversation ho had ■with a Christchurch man the other day, who had told him they were influenced by the purest motives for our well-being, and considered the road over the range must bo made to neutralise as much as possible the fearful disadvantages wo were labouring under through the wretched state of the bar of the rivor. (Cries of " Oh, oh.* .. Mr M'lntyre, in concluding his address, proved to tho meeting the fallacy of such an argument, by a concise statement of the cost of cartage overland, and tho enormous figure wo should have to pay for tho commone&t necessaries of life, did all our supplies come by that route j aud that if the present laws prohibiting tho importation of cattle continued, meat would soon be tip to 2s per lb. Wo had however the power to alter it, and it was clearly our dutylto do so. (applause). He felt much pleasure in moving the following resolution : — " That it is tho wish of this mooting that proclaimed crossing places should be established under qualified Inspoctors, for the purpose of allowing tho cattle of Otago and Southland to bo driven into this market." Mr. M'llao, seconded the motion, which was carried nem con. Mr. Bracken objected to memorialising tho Provincial Government who no power to] alter tho law j tho proper course for us to pursue was to go to the fountain head, and petition the General Government. Mr. M'lntyre disagreed with the Major, for he remembered when in Dunedin, the working classes held monster meetings on this very subject, and tho Superintendent under tho immense pressure brought to bear upon him on his own responsibility opened the port. Mr. Hawkins really could not see what good this meeting could do, as the petition from the Improvement Commiliee was still under the consideration of the Colonial Secretary, and until a decided answer was received from that official further action would bo premature. Tho Chairman begged to call the attention of the last speaker to a later communication from Christchurch, dated October 4th, than tho ono ho alluded to, to tho effect that tho freo importation of cattle was, and would be, imperatively prohibited. Mr. Hawkins was in error if ho considered tho former question had not been definitely answered. Mr. Ilawkes, of the Kanieri, who undertook to move the third and last resolution, thought it unnecessary to mako any remarks, the subject having been so well handled by the gentlemen who had preceded him. Ho howover thought that if tho port was opened to cattle the boundary line might be shifted a littlo, for Christchurch had been put to a great expense in making this road so far, and he considered a track should bo cut right through, to enable Otago and Southland to participate in tho benefit of ' the Hokitika market. Ho considered no time should bo lost in thoroughly agitating tho question, and felt much pleasure in proposing the following : — "That a- committee bo formed to draw up a memorial, and carry out tho objects of this meeting." This motion was seconded by Mr. Binnoy and carried without a dissenting voice. Mr. Hawkins would like to ask the last speaker tho question, how it was that at a late election meeting at the Kanieri ho advocated the immediate suspension of tho overland road,, and now he would have the boundary lino moved and a track for cattle cut. lie did not understand such tergiversation, and considered if the boundary line were extended it would bo tho means of extending disease as well. That should bo avoided if possible, (A hoarse voice from the body of tho hall — " Where aro the squatters now ?") Mr. Ilowley, in reply observed — If the ports Avere opened, and the boundary line extended, cheap meat would be let in, but not plouro-pneuinonia ; and for his part, ho believed that the disease was so general, existing in every place where cattle were to be found, that it was all nonsense this closing of ports. Let the herds from Otago and Southland como overland by all means \ and those from Sydney and Melbourne come by sea ; and never mind tho introduction of pleuro-pneumonia;thatwe should bo sure to have ; we were not however quite so certain of cheap meat. That should be our chief aim at present, and if wo all pulled together no doubt we should get it, but if not wo should all go to the ground. (Applause.) Mr. Binnoy was very much struck by the remarks of tho last gentleman but one who had spoken, and should certainly imagino that he had como from Christchurch, from the intorest that he took in it. Now ho was pretty well known, and tho place from whonce he had come known also, and splendid nino or ten huudredweight bullocks were walking about there waiting to be purchased at low prices and no taint of disease about them. Ho thought tho grievances under which wo labored wero too gross and palpable to last long, and that wo should go in stoutly for our rights, have the ports opened, and tho boundary line oxtended at once. What did the Ohristclmrch people care for us? Jolly little ! — and we cared as little for them. We were a roving population-—

hero to-day and gone to-morrow, and it was a duty wo owed to ourselves to get all that we could wlu'lo theie was anything to bo had, and then go if we thought proper. This was tho grab-all policy of Christchurcli, and sho could not blame us for following her oxample. Tho speaker, howover, considered that the road overland for cattle would bo preferable to a sea voyage, as being much less expensive, aud not so injurious to tho beasts thojisolvcs. 110 thoroughly believed in the jolly stockdriver, those shipping gentry having an awkward habit' of slicking it into us rather heavy. Now he know ono old Southland hand who had any amount of herds of fine cattle running about ready for tho market, who was prepared to fairly flood us with first-class meat as soon as the routo through Canterbury was declared open, and bo well satisfied if he mado L - per head on all he brought over. He considered, the present policy of tho Government most injurious to the community at large, for nothing ivas more conducive to tho introduction of disease amongst human beings than being obliged to consume miserable, stinking, yellow meat ; he trusted soon to see such a thing a rarity, as it was unfortunately now only too plentiful; but the only way to attain our ends must be by energetic co-operation. Mr Rowley considered a memorial .should bo immediately drawn up, and trusted to see it signed by every business man and digger on tho coast. The following gentlemen wero then elected to act as a committee : — Messrs Shepherd, Bracken, M'lntyre, Binncy, Rowley, Prosser, Jones, Kennedy, Eicko, Clarke, and Powell. This concluding the business of this meeting, a vote of thanks was awarded the ohair ; but immediately afterwards Mr Chamberlain sprang up on tlio platform and that proposed another meetingshould bo formed at once to discuss somo of the other grievances under which they labored. The former chairman was, therefore, re-elected, aud Mr Chamberlain at onco, in a most vigorous and able manner, proceeded to denounce the policy which had brought us to such straits, lie touched upon the state of tho town, particularly alluded to the state of the wharf and the want of safe mo. ring places for vessels, to which he attributed the loss of tho two schooners the other day. He inveighed bitterly against tlio officials hero, their ineflieioncy and want of courtesy, especially shewn when the Improvement Committee waited on Mr. Sale about tho hospital. Mr. Chamberlain went on for some length in this stylo, and was followed by Mr. Rowley. Tho Chairman, however, thought it uuadviseablo to go into too many subjects at ono meeting, and advised a dissolution of the meeting, upon which Mr. Chamberlain moved, that tho meeting do adjourn only, and that a Monster Indignation Meeting, be held in the same Hall, next Monday week, tho 15th instant, to more deeply consider the manifold abuses under which the community woro labouring. This was carried men con, and tho meeting separated.