MEAT PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3146, 26 July 1917, Page 6

MEAT PROBLEM

SHIPPING AND STORAGE CONFERENCE OF VARIOUS INTERESTS SEVERAL ASPECTS DISCUSSED Representatives of meat .interests attended the Farmers' Union Conference yesterday, and a discussion was heid on the question of the shipping difficulty as it affects the meat position. Mr.- D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said it in net lie remembered in discussing these things that tho Meat Trust and the .Shipping Trust worked together. In 6ome cases the managements were identical. A danger existed which must be grappled with, but tho task would not have been so difficult had the farmers moved in the matter sooner. Since the war began the Trusts had made huge profits out of meat. Through the operations of tho Trusts land had fallen in va.ue in America, and if something was not done hero in the next eight years the value of pastoral land would fall 30 per cent. The Trust had its eyes on the mutton and lamb trade. There was no lustiiication lor the statement that the sh.ort-a-e of ships was due to the operations of tho submarines; that was only said to quieten producers. Ho read from the Board of Trade (England) Report, 1916, which he claimed curtained an admission that the Australasian fleet and the River Plate fleet were equal to what they were before the war. It was our du.tv to make representations to the authorities at Home, and tell them the true position as it concerned us lne true position was not being put before the Home authorities. The shipping ><ew Zealand should get-was being utilised by the profiteers at Home-the. .Meat Ring. Mr W J. P° lson (Wanganm) sad that" the! American Army would be ready for transport about-the end of the year, and as America had insufficient "ships to convey the Army across the Atlantic sue would call on Great Britain for the vessels. Therefore, our difficulties ncie might be very' great in a Ultk.while. There were, however,,a iroimfcer or tmn s we cUd do at this end.. If we could make it essential for a ship to unload atone port and load at one ™ta. a few weeks' time in New Zealand ™tew*oiild be saved Hie vessel. Space m.glit bo saved bv adopting a better svstem of stowage/ and thus increasing ity of tho freezing works It »«« dutr of the Government to give definite instructions on this matter forthwith O, r car yim: capacity might be increased y re ommiisibning seaworthy sups. By that means wool could be got rid of and the wool stores relieved. He <»» no * know where next season's wool would be stored and iron could not be procured to-WW new stores. The whole thing needed better handling tta.it was now receiv n-'. At present shipping was beto serve the interests of the M'Queen (SourlilaudV said it seemed strange to bear that t" a* mnnv ships as before the war. If the idea of-allowing a shin to toad at only oneworks was adopted, there, would be ?ows In New Zealand Speedy up by wharf-loader* would help matters, the only thin* that, cnuld be done here was to nrov,',V additional storage accommodation till the 'wnr was over. Mr G W. Leadley: Can you, as an exnerfc,' say whether, any American Meat Trust is operating here prejudicially to %»,« one' Trust representative had told him that his firni Tvas here to make money, brat the prices the other buyer* were giving were ton s.tilt for him. That Trust was not operating «4ensivelv..iuid it did not conceal itsidentity, but there was another Trust which "did"nbt come into the open and was buving a. good deal more meat. Mr W B. Mothew.=on (EVetnhimnV -moved that a committee shmild be set up to confer with theVAdvisojy Board of "the farmers' Union and draw up proposals which would be of immediate value, and lay them .before the conference later, the committee..to be Messrs. Lysnar, Poison. Leadley, E. A. Campbell, A'. "Ross, and "0. .Tones. -.-Mr. R. D.Duxfield (Horotui) seconded %FZ£mi wpoed with Mr. Poison that the' loading should be done at one place to save the liners from losing time. Thev should adont the Argentine, method' of" stationing the liner at one port and making the small vessels run the meat along to her. The president of tho conference (hn .Tames Wilson) remarked that New Zealand'had not been touched by the war vet We would have to be told what to do,'and made to-do it. The Efficiency Board had" collected a great deal of mScmation on freezing.matters. Dr C. J. Reakes, Director of the Meat Division of the Department of Agriculture, said the authorities were fully alive to what was a serious position, it was realised by all concerned, ho thought, that they should prepare for serious .trouble. .It did not follow- that they would get that trouble, but 'if it did come they must be ready. If nothing happened, those who had made provision would be in no'worse position than the man who paid insurance premiums. The Government had done all it could to get shipping. The thing to do was to put up more storage accommodation, and the freezing companies were being approached on the subject now, asking if they could meet at an early date and discuss with the Minister the question of how best to utilise the surplus power they have by putting up more storage. .Experiments had been made in the direction of saving space by better cutting and packing, and a trial'shipment ot meat so cut and packed had been sent Home. In the beef experiments .they found they could make a fair savmgsay, ten per cent.—in forequarters, but there was not much saving with hind' quarters. It was. reckoned that a saying of about twenty per cent, in the weight of mutton and lamb shipped could be saved. He assured the gathering the Government was alive to the situation, and was taking energetic steps for dealing with next season's produce. Mr. J. M'Queen: Would it bo possiblo to save space"by boning the meat? \\o want the bones here for manure. Dr. E-eakes said he would recommend that onlv a3 a last resource. The troops might'not care to cat boned meat. Ho quite agreed that tho bones were wanted here. Mr. Lysnar insisted that action was necessary. If the Government had not made a move New Zealand would not have got seventeen ships for September The producers should realise they would onh* loso by keeping quiet. Mr. Mathewson's motion was adopted, and the committee' is to report this otter'noon.