INQUIRY INTO RETAIL MEAT TRADE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14618, 11 March 1948, Page 6

INQUIRY INTO RETAIL MEAT TRADE

CABINET TO APPOINT COMMISSION

RATIONING OF TINNED MEAT

(P.A.) Dunedin, March 10. The Cabinet has agreed to appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate all aspects of the retail meat trade in the Dominion. Advice to this effect was given to the annual conference of the New Zealand Master Butchers’ Federation this afternoon; The order of reference of the inquiry and the personnel of the commission are to be announced later.

The decision by the Cabinet followed a telegram from the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Nordmeyer, which was read at the conference this morning. The telegram stated that the Cabinet would consider Mr Nordmeyer’s recommendation that an open public inquiry should be held by a commission or tribunal. Questions to be determined would be whether stock should be purchased at auction or on the hooks, the margin to be allowed to farmers, wholesalers and retailers, and generally all matters which had been subject to discussion for many years. The Minister said it was desirable that the inquiry should be held early, but no definite date could be set.

The federation decided to urge the Government to bring the sale of tinned meat for local consumption under the rationing scheme. The conference rejected a motion by the South Auckland association that the Government be urged to abolish meat rationing. It was agreed that the advantages of obtaining the licensing of operators in the retail meat trade should be investigated.