THE MEAT TRUST

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 29, 29 October 1917, Page 7

THE MEAT TRUST

GOVERNMENT HAS POWER TO DEAL WITH IT

DISTRIBUTION IN ENGLAND,

Inference to the Parliamentary Committees recommendation!! iu .regard to the American Meat Trust was made in the House of Representatives on Safcurll by Mr. Anderson, who stated that he had received a telegram from the provincial secretary of tho Farmers' Union in Southland stating that his executive urged that the necessary legislation be passed this session regarding the Meat Trust. The Prime Minister said that quite a number of members had received similar telegrams,' which showed that the work of the Meat Trust Committee had been highly appreciated. Unfortunately the senders of the telegrams did not suggest what legislation was required, and Ministers had been so busy lately that they had been una.ble to go into details. "So far as I know," he added, "we have quite sufficient legislation to go. on to give effect to the recommendations made by the committee. I don't say we won't require fresh legislation next session."

Mr.Buddo said he had been conversing with some fanners, and they stated that they wanted an assurance that" last year's conditions in reference to the disposal at Home of New Zealand surplus meat not wanted for the Army were not going to happen this year: They did not irish to nominate agents, but they wanted an assurance that the meat was not going to men who were going to reap aSO per cent, profit. They wanted it to go into the retailers' hands at the same jrico as it was landed in London.

' The Prime Minister said the meat, had to go through several hands. The arrangements now .were much better than they were last year, and very much better than those referred to by Mr. Buddo. A fair proportion of the meat not wanted by the Army was fairly distributed among the shops in London. The Meat Trust could not obtain more than its fair. share. No New Zealand beef ever went 'into the open market; mutton sometimes went to the open market, but very seldom. When Sir Joseph Ward. and lie were leaving England a new procedure was the using of a large quantity of Argentine beef and. New Zealand mutton for conversion, into sausages for the use of the troops in England; ..Very little New. Zealand mutton would go on to tho open market, but whatever did would be fairly distributed among .the retailers. . : Dr! A. K. Newman asked whether if lamb was released at 9d. a lb. it would be retailed at. lfc. 9d. Did this evil •system 6till continue? Mr. Massoy said, that even now this was possible , When he was in England the retailer was allowed to get the highest price he could, but since a Pood Controller had been the iprice might be fixed. Sir Joseph' Ward and himself had protested against the practice, of' allowing retailers to get such high prices, but they were politely told that the meat did not belong to New Zealand, but that it had been taught and paid for by the British Government.