SHIPPING COMBINES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1192, 29 July 1911, Page 14

SHIPPING COMBINES.

FARMERS AND THE MEAT ,TRUST. A WORKING NOTE. Shipping combines and mpat trusts camo under discussion at yesterday's Farmers' Conference, the discussion being introduced by tlio following motion, moved by Mr. Makgill (Auckland):"Thnt tlio union views with concern the fact, as reported from London, of the control of the Shaw-Savill Shipping Company by the Morgan Combine, and as tlio shipping companies are so bound up with the frozen meat industry of the Dominion, urges the Government to keen a watchtul eye over tho possible means of American control of this very important industry of tho Dominion, and that this conference tako the matter in hand and put it before the Government." The mover proceeded to quote extracts from various shipping and agricultural papers bearing on the London report. Ho urged that it would be a serious matter for New Zealand exporters of frozen meat if the shipping control was in the hands of America. Suggestions had been made that the. American Meat Trust was already operating in the New Zealand meat trade. Mr. Nevins (Tenui) remarked that shipping and other combines were most important matters from tho farmers' viewpoint. The ,fact that certain, farmers felt that they were not being treated fairly by the shipping companies led to a combination of farmers chartering vessels to carry their wool, a movement which had been successful. He asked Mr. J. C. Cooper, a delegate who had more knowledge of the subject than most of them, if ho kuew of any indication of the NewZealand meat trade being captured by tho American trust. Mr. Cooper: "None whatever." Continuing, Mr. Cooper said that nothing had been done so far. He did not believe the, American Trust had directly iought one carcass of meat in New Zealand. They might be trying to got in now, however. He understood that they were anxious to do so, but they were afraid. It was a fact that the American beef and N.Z. mutton were bought in London and sold together. He thought the shipping rates hero were as cheap as they could be. Tho companies had to cut to bedrock for fear of competition from outside. Our rates compared favourably with South American and Australian rates. Mr. Talbot believed that the Meat Trust was taking a good deal of our meat.

Major Lusk said Auckland poonle had lurjuirwl into'the matter, and they wero satisfied that tho trust was operating here. In reply to a question, lws said lie could nanus persons who were said to represent the trust'in New Zealand, but ho would rather not do so. Hβ was convinced that there was danger ahead, and he thought the Government should be asked to watch it, and nip it in the bud. JUr. She.it said the man in the street had it that hundreds of thousands of carcasses were being bought for tho Meat Trust, although not ostensibly for those people.

Air. Cooper repeated that he did not knoiv of oua single agency for the trust in New Zealand. They might, however, be doing trade through c.i.f. contracts for aJJ he knew, but ho could not point to a direct representative. Mr. Evans said he was absolutely sure from Ins letters from London and other information that a firm in London, buying for the United Kingdom, acted as the ■ bull . and "hear" on tho New Zealand nfavfcct. j Jt , r ; ~V avasour had not the slightest doubt that the ."bearing" of the market in tho early part:of.the season was brought about.by, certain big interested people at H0m0... Tho formation of. the proposed Producers' Association would, he urged, go a lotig way towaids exposing movements m tho market in futnre. Tho motion was carried. I