VESTEY BROTHERS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 109, 1 February 1921, Page 7

VESTEY BROTHERS

BRITISH COMMITTEE’S COMMENT VERY WIDE INTERESTS Some comment on tho operations of the firm of Vestey Brothers, Limited, which is- doing business on a largo scale in the northern districts of New Zealand. are included in the report of the British committee that investigated the meat trade. “We do not th-ink it proper to conclude this part of our inquiry without drawing .attention to tho growth of Vestey Brothers. Limited,” states the committee. “Tho interest controlling this British registered company controls also the Union Cold Storage Co., Ltd., subordinate companies with meat works in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, and China; meat works operated by AV. and R. Fletcher, Ltd., in Australia and New Zealand, and Nelson Bros, Ltd., in Now Zealand, AV. Weddell and Co., Ltd., and the Colonial Consignment and Distribution Co.. Ltd., which arc large importers of Australasian produce, and the multiple shop retail companies of AV. and R. Fletcher. Ltd., the Argenta Meat Co., Ltd., and Eastmans, Ltd. “They also own the Blue Star Lino, Ltd., of meat ships, and do a large business in importing provisions, poultry and eggs from China, and before the war they had a similar trade from tho Continent and Siberia They are, consequently, an organisation of very wide scope., They do not, of course, possess anything like a monopoly, either local or general. No complaints were made to us of their methods of trading, and, although some witnesses expressed tho fear that they might enter into alliance with the American companies, the relations between the two parties, at present, do not appear to be particularly friendly. In attempting to forecast the prospective course of the meat trade, the future of this amalgamation of interest cannot be left out of account, anil should they depart from their present policy of independence the consequences might be very serious."