CHILLED BEEF WAR

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 83, 8 April 1922, Page 6

CHILLED BEEF WAR

THE NEW ZEALAND POOL'

FAVOURABLE COMMENT.

(FROM 088 OWN CORRHSFONDENT.)

LONDON, 25th February.

The position with regard to frozen beef is worse than it ever has been. This is largely owing to the struggle which is now in progress between the American dealers of chilled beef and the British firm of Vestcy Brothers. Hitherto there lias existed an unwritten agreement that supplies to Britain should be restricted, but some one seems to have ignored this unwritten law. and on this occasion it would seem that the British firm is the aggressor. Vestey Brothers have the advantage of possessing a complete organisation from the freezing works to the retail shops, but the American combination probably has more millions to throw away. Whatever the object of the struggle, it seems a war to the death. In December the imports from South America to Britain and the Continent were 244,000 quarters of frozen beef, and 203,000 quarters of chilled beef. The January figures show 227,000 quarters of frozen beef and 208,000 quarters of chilled beef. Under these circumstances, chilled beef, which was selling at 4d per 1b in December for fores, is now selling at 3§d, and hindquarters, which were 7d, are now sjd per lb. The whole thing seems to be a wildly ruinous battle. Retailers will doubtless benefit considerably before the general public are made aware of the reduced wholesale prices. What effect this flooding of the beef market will havo on lamb and mutton has yet to be seen, but it is not anticipated that it will make much difference to prices. Frozen beef, however, has not the slightest chance, and though the nominal price is 3d per lb for fores, and 4gd per lb for hinds, practically no frozen beef is changing hands. EMPIRE PRODUCERS' ASSOCIATION. One of the principles of the British Empire Producers' organisation is to encourage every effort made by the producers of the Empire to obtain the most direct marketing and accurate grading for their goods. The New Zealand Government's meat pool proposals were considered at a meeting of the council of the organisation, and it was decided to keep in close touch with the development of this movement, and to support all action which should improve the position of the actual producers and guarantee to the consumer information as to the quality and origin of his supplies. In ■the editorial -columns of Production and Export, the monthly journal of the organisation, the pool scheme is also referred to. "A matter which has of late engaged the close attention of the organisation," says the writer, "is Mr. Massey's scheme for obtaining for the meat producers of New, Zealand a share of control in the marketing of their product. Naturally the whole problem has raised a- storm of controversy and brought upon ourselves and upon Mr. Massey a shower of verbal and documentary criticism of a quite autumnal character. We a.re, however, disposed to think that the storm which has brought down this heavy fall of leaves is not one to disquiet the cultivator of Empire trade relationships. Ifc is largely due, we feel sure, to a misapprehension of the intentions of Mr. Massey and his following of New Zealand proditcers. That they should desire to have a hand in the fate of their own commodity in. these markets is surely reasonable enough, especially as they wish to impose upon themselves markings as to quality which will keep them to very rigid standards. , | A SQUARE-DEALER. ] "It is ■ reasonable that they should wish to go thus far, but it is unlikely that they desire to attempt anything.so extravagant as the short-circuiting of the legitimate channels of distribution; especially when those channels are in the hands of ;i great trade which trays and sells, not only meat, but other foodstuffs, in; the markets of the whole world. Mr. Massey is characteristically a square-dealer, and what lie wants to ensure for his producers is essentially a square deal; not by any means, as some of our correspondents appeal to think, against supposed machinations of the trade, but against the operation of a system which modern methods and facilities of interchange of information are rendering in some aspects cumbrous and jejune. We feel that the rapidlynarrowing margin between the desire of the producers and the objections of the distributors will be bridged, and an arrangement arrived at simpler than the present one and inoro satisfactory to all parties."