F.O.L. wants meat control

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33382, 14 November 1973, Page 3

F.O.L. wants meat control

t.Vcui Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, November 13. It was essential that a stabilisation scheme on meat prices be instituted as quickly as possible, the president of the Federation of Labour (Mr T. E. Skinner) said today to the Commission of Inquiry into the meat industry.

He said inflation i would continue, and the cost of living would rise for as long as local meat prices went up in line with export meat prices.' “In the interest of New Zealand generally it is desir- : able that something should be done about this position,” he | said. Conventional methods of ; I price control placed on other products would not deal adequately with the meat prices i problem. The most effective! action would be controls at; I the point at which meat was! marketed. Mr Skinnqr suggested es-. itahlishing “a fair and reasonable” fixed price for pro-1 ducers of both local and ex-i port meat. Receipts above! this level should be paid into! | a fund held for the benefit of I the meat industry generally. Another method would be > to divert a fixed quota of meat to the local market, at a set price, leaving the bal-i ance of meat nroduction for! I the export market. Unless steps similar 'o the! [ones suggested were taken to: I stabilise prices. New Zealand ! would remain vulnerable to the fluctuations in the meat market. This would continue 1 ito affect the cost of living! land would promote further. I inflation, he said. Mr Skinner advocated the; transfer of ownership of meat processing works to co-opera-tive ownership and control bv the farmers who provided the stock and the workers emoloved in processing it. Such a move would create greater industrial harmony in

the industry and increase the productivity and profitability of the works, he said.