SHIPPING AND MEAT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3128, 5 July 1917, Page 4

SHIPPING AND MEAT

No one who has read the correspondence which ipassed between Me. Massey and Sir Joseph Maclay, Controller of British Shipping, can fail to recognise that the Prime Minister brought every possible means of persuasion to bear to sccure vessels for the carriage of our exports to London. If anything, it might be suggested that Mr. Massey pressed the claims of New Zealand undulj , . In the case of tho Mother Country it has been practically a matter of life and death in recent months that the shipping available- should be used to the best advantage to secoiro the needed foodstuffs in the quickest possible manner. With New Zealand it is a matter of hardship, involving heavy financial loss and serious embarrassment, but not otherwise affecting in any vital way tho ability of the Dominion to, carry on its part in the struggle. Unless Britain obtained the needed food supplies sho might be starved into agreement to ,-terms of peace which would leave the future of tho Empire darkened by' an even more deadly peril than that which it is at present facing. In the eircum-. stances, Mil. Massby went fully as far as ho was justified in pressing. Now Zealand's claims to consideration on the Shipping Controller, and wo cannot fairly or honourably take exception to tho attitudb adopted by Sir Joseph Maclay,olshut our eyes to the fact that it was in the best interests of the Empire and our Allies. We arc suffering and must continue to suffer from the shipping shortage for some time to come, but that does not mean that the situation will continue as bad as it is at the present time. -Much, of course, will depend upon tho success or otherwise of the submarine campaign,, but that is only one of a number of factors so far as this Dominion is concerned. If, as is expected, the extraordinary efforts which have been made in Britain to increase tho yield of locallygrown food supplies proves success: ful, wo may, confidently; expect that no endeavour will be spared to lift the cargoes of perishable produce in New Zealand awaiting shipment overseas. Apart from the obligation which tho Imperial authorities arc under to this # Dominion to do their utmost to relieve the situation, their own interest must prompt them to seize the earliest possible opportunity to lift the moat and produce from cold storo here. Both Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, in discussing tho question of meat supplies in the House of Representatives on Tuesday last, referred to their investigations in London into the ramifications of tho Meat.Trust. It is very clear that the Meat Trust is reaping an added harvest owing to the diversion of shipping from this part of the world to North and .South America, and it is in addition strengthening its hold and influence ,on our principal market. The view of tho situation voiced by Sir Joseph Ward is one which should set our producers and our legislators thinking more seriously than most of them have yet done on this subject. The MinI isTER ok Finance holds the opinion I that there is only, one way. to fight

this immensely powerful trust, and that is by State action hero and in the Motherland. He holds that State action hero will be useless so long as the Meat Trust controls tho London market, and his solution apparently involves the purchase of the meat in New Zealand by tho Dominion Government and its sale in London under some system controlled by the British Government. No doubt tho smooth working of the existing system of Government purchase of meat and wool as a war measure has encouraged tho belief that the system might be extended to peaco times, but it by no means follows that it would bo attended by tho same success of give- the same satisfaction. It is most desirable, however,, that this question of the future marketing of our. meat supplies, which is ono of immense importance to tho Dominion, should not be allowed to slip into the background. Tho Prime Minister and his colleague have only touched in, the briefest possible terms on their investigations abroad, and they should at least give up an evening during tho present session and take tho House and the country fully into their confidence on the subject. It is especially desirable that they, should make known more exhaustively their views ,a« to the best means of meeting and overcoming, the menace of the Meat Trust and the prospects of the Imperial authorities co-operating in any measures designed to secure that end.