ARGENTINE MEAT WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 41, 18 February 1927, Page 14

ARGENTINE MEAT WAR.

A PARTIAL AGREEMENT. XOT ALL SATISFIED. Though not definitely settled, the gre:;t industrial war which has been carried on for several years by meat companies at a cost of millions of pounds to the participants operating in the Argentine, is almost ended.

According to the "London Times'' of January 5: "Three of ti.e biggest combatants in the 'meat war' have arrived at a settlement as to the percentages of the English trade, whicn. as importers, the., are to take. These firms are Messrs. Armour and Co.. Limited: Messrs. Sw.;t and Co., Limited; and Messrs. Yestey Brothers. Limited. The Smithficld and Argentine Meat Company, with several smaller firms, is still holding out for a bigger percentage than has been offered it, and while keen competition will no doubt be continued, though on a lesser scale, it is stated that the present agreement affects the greater part of tiie interests concerned.''

This fight has been in progress for about two years, an<l in its keenest phases w,is responsible for reducing the prices of South American meat in the London market to extraordinarily lc . levels, which yielder freight rate* from Buenos Aires about equal to those charged for bringing meat by rail from Aberdeen to London. It is hot thought likely that there will b«» serious changes in price owing to the settlement reached by the big importing firms, and if'the "meat war"' ends in the near future there will probablv still bo a margin of supply over demand.