FROZEN MEAT TRADE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2466, 20 May 1915, Page 8

FROZEN MEAT TRADE

'ALLOTMENT OF STEAMER SPACE. (By Telcirrnph.—Press Association.. Christchurch, May 19. A meeting of the executive of tho •North Canterbury district o£ the New Zealand .Farmers' Union was hold today. Tho president, Mr. C. H. Ensor, referring to the meat question, said a ipcrtioii of tho executive went last week ,to Wellington as a deputation to the I'rime Minister and the Overseas Shipping Committee to protest against the allocation of space to Canterbury. Tho basis of the Shipping Committee's allocation was a mystery 60 far, and lie felt that had other than shipping men licen on tho committee the allocation would have been diiferent. The committee doubtless had tho right to say where their ships should go to, and what they should carry, but now it had a national duty to perform and no particular district or trade should havo preference. The latest ligures relating to space showed that a total space for 684,000 freight carcasses would be available for Juno and early July loading for the Dominion, and of this 308,500 carcasses were roserved for tho South Island and 234,000 lor Canterbury companies'. Ho thought, under tho circumstances, the proportion of space allotted to the Southland works was not equable. The total clearances from January to May 10 for mutton, lamb, and beef equalled 1,932,800 freight carcasses for the North Island and 768,238 freight carcasses for tho &am© time for th©_

South Island. A message should bo sent to the Overseas Committee asking for tho basis of its allotments and also one to tho Prime Minister urging .him to get this information. Mr. D. Jones said the most favoured part of tho Dominion ivas Southland, wlucli. did not need so much consideration up to tho present, and had a large proportion of space allotted to it. Southland men were buying Canterbury sheep and still had splendid crops of winter feed. The fact that the committee would not divulgo ihe basis of allocation rendered farmers suspicious, although of course there might not be anything in tho favouritism shown to Southland. Much worse was tho fact that tho committee had apparently not taken an Imperial and national view of the meat question, and their action might very "well hinder the supply of meat to the troops and people at Home. The committee had failed very signally to rise to the occasion.

Ml". George Sheat moved: "That the executive of North Canterbury district of the New Zealand Fanners' Union has

no confidence in the present constitution of the Overeca, Shipowners' Committee, and appeals to the Now Zealand Government to approach the Board of Trade asking it to give authority to tho New Zealand Government to allocate all spacc." Tho motion was passed unanimously.

It was also decided to write to the l'rime Minister, pointing out that Southland buyers were taking Canterbury stock down to Southland works to freeze there.

ENCOURAGING FARMERS

LABOUR FOR HARVEST TIME, {By Telegraph.—Pruss Association.)

New Plymouth, May 19. In a letter to the Press, Mr. Wilson, Mayor of New Plymouth, suggests that in order to encourage farmers to put in more crops, associations should be formed in towns for the purpose of guaranteeing a supply of labour at harvest time.