A STRONG POSITION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 114, 6 February 1908, Page 2

A STRONG POSITION.

A' HOW. THE TRUST. .WOXJLD WORE.' i . The threatened invasion oL the big American' beef trust indicated by our "Wairarapa correspondent ;aud : tlio, : London writer of.-tho: " Pastoralists' ;EevieT7, : '' /is a most interest-.' ing : topic , for . discussion. . Ths great/power of the JBeef Trust lies in its command of beef; supplies. -We have at the outset to face tho fact-that, tho Britisher is;' above :aD things, a. beef; eater. Sometimes .he eats :a' littlo mutton j but offer tee ordinary Britishers at Homo plates;, of; beef, steak and plates of 1 mutton chops, and nino of them will take tho steaks.., Thus the men who command tho beef supplies, hold tho .British, market in tho hollow of their hands.; " How, now; can-this, circumstance affect usjandour mutton? One method-suggests itself very readily!' Assume that the Trust is in' operatiou and "|the fight 1 begun. , British butchers' v/ho apply to"',the Trust for beef mil, in'cffect, have something' .like this said' to them: "iWhero do" you buy. your : mutton? From us or from New Zealand? ,\Vo can supply you with good Argentine ; mutton, ' ahd vif yoir .t.akfi it wo cari|!lot : .you -have beef,.- too.r; But- if. -you sell ivcw Zealand mutton, wclK—So tho butcher, dreading the. loss of tho essential; beef, 1, will drop his; New Zealand; mutton, and 'the >Argentino> article will 1 take .its l place. . Quality Will not much affect the question/- 'Argentine, with big firms operating, will' most-cer- ' thinly bo assisted to improve its stock. : Less keenness; will consequently/ bo exhibited : in , the ;purchaso of New. Zealand' meat,,'and i prices will fall. There will be/trouble-in the hitherto calm atmosphere of tho New Zealand sheep runs, and the- busy ' migration from, dairy to iwool station will cease. There .will bo the novelty ; of a sheep slump, " and prices 'of: land will slip down 'with a bump. Legislators will be powerless to go to tho rescue. For tho operations will be done outside'of. New Zealand,; and British with their devotion to cheaip food, would not be' likely; to try'to sterna tide that brought down the price of Now Zealand meat." ' This, however, is merely a picture of some- . thingthat' has not .- yet; happened. ; 'The 'Trust is not yet" doing what has been outlined,' and possibly the future has no troublo of the kind in store!''. The. bare possibility, however,' of the ; developments hinted at is Sufficient to justify reflection; call for sinking 1 funds, and give an''impetus to'the flagging; cattlfrraisihg industry that has such an im-. portant bearing on* the' Swifts have previously sounded; New' Zealand "tor mutton supplies, and given'-us'up. ;