NOT PASSED ON

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 144, 21 June 1930, Page 12

NOT PASSED ON

LOW MEAT PEICES t

MR. DAVID JONES IN LONDON

.(Fi)om /'The Post's" Representative.) ';'-'. . - '': '■".; . LONDON,-Bth' Moj-;

■It is a matter1 for comment that the full'benefit of stlie present low ebb in meat prides i,is'»not 'passed .on -.to .the' consumer by.^thei'meat retailer,/who must at.■'•this timefbe reaping in extra profits hand over fist,,-:by ,'the -cheapness ,of .'chilled beef, etc?',' In this "connection .it may be mentioned that, the Labour Government seems determined to 'give its Pood' Council' wider and more stringent powers,- which isvindicated by a new Consumers'^'Council Bill, nowvbefore the 'House of Commons for 'a second/reading this ..week. : The mea* trade, as well ; as the bakery, business, ■ may be trusted to 'fight: this-measuro. through their' M.P.'s/to the. last ditch; It will be remembered by.-New-.Zealand-, roaders in this-connection .that Consumers' Councils in most countries are not very effective in their operations. : '.; . : -.•"

. For . instance, in ■ .the.-.Dominion, so a Ncw/Zealander.in London this wcelc stat-ed,'-the biily prosecution^ succeeded with by the equivalent of the Consumers' Councirw^sin respect of. the sale of an alarm clock, while the council's'action in relation to the price of bread abraided public opinion 'severely: on; the fall; of the ; price of wheat.'. :' '■:..■ '••..- / ' .''.■"'; ■ '•'■'. ■"• -\ ■■ ' .

Mr.' David- Jones, the chairman of 'tho New-Zealand,;-,-.- Meat Producers' Board, when in London, mentioned to the writer that -he/ had a; meeting at \the. House /of Commons with > those in: the present Government who are-interested to establish r a Food Imports' B6ard for the State purchase of national- food: supplies. :

-From what; Mr: Jones, said it is to be gathered that he. somewhat opened the eyesof .those aspirants to State food control, in showing them that such: a board would not have things all its/own way, as they, expected, and that there-was such a possibility*as New Zealand not standing -with, cap, in hand, waiting to sell its meat on any'terms to Britain. -It would appear as if the present market's situation should teach the British . public : itself the- best lesson in/this direction, as whereas ;no Dominion could be- -expected to sell its meatjin bulk at under production cost, the good old law,'of supply and demand has so turned the wheel in favour of the /consumer-that meat is actually passing out of the wholesale market here at considerably less than cost to the 'loss of all sellers concerried. * Thatis a point which! the.public-. should,;kecp ; well in. 'mind^- ii:■■■..- ■'•-1:-.--:','"''.'■■>■'■-.."''.■ /- •.-; ;^ '.'•' A FALL OF ■THREE-HALFPENCE.^ . The/disastrous..condition of. the frozen meat market at the present time is :a subject of anxiety 'to all in -the trade here. Briefly, it may / be said that'frozen meat in/general shows- a^drpp1. of about ,l%d per: lb wholesale from 'the level of this time last year, and it is plain ;to see that overshipment' is; : the ' cause;.' of. ;• the low ebb .'.'to, which, prices:; have : sunk in all niarkets, on. this !side.,.:; Naturally, :c.i,f. buyers are among the worst hit, and the plethora of meat on hand has resulted in the 'smallest carcasses of low; grade quality doing better than, and.even fetching a/premiuni over, middle and . large-6ized, prime quality meat. Chilled beef has been terribly, low in price, and this/is not. only ■ because :of its over-abundance, but also because of the!wretched quality of a considerable proportion ,of that! arriving. Brazil fores have' failed to sell sqniethnes,,at l^d pervlbj.and this has re:' acted-'throughput the-frozen market. The .question has ■ been ■. asked • whether this glut portends a reversion to beef . company' ' Btrife once more, and numerous onlookers -have been/, sceptical on . this score.vi*lt-is 'probably safe to assume, however, that the rush of meat is not due to a fighting policy between; the com. tending; companies,' but, results .from 'diversion of; cargoes at this; time.' / ■■