THE PRICE SCREW

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 August 1946, Page 7

THE PRICE SCREW

ARGENTINE MEAT FOR BRITAIN DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS (Rec. 2.45 p.m.) LONDON, August 8. A glimpse of the problems that Sir Henry Turner, .formerly closely associated with the New. Zealand mealtrade and now Director of Meat and Livestock at the Ministry of Food is having to face in the Argentine, where he is negotiating a meat agreement on behalf of the British Government, were given by the Daily Express Buenos Aires correspondent.

He says that the Argentine is putting the screws on Britain for higher prices and adds that every time Sir Henry goes into'the conference room in the Central Bank he enters a tough business school of men who know that they have goods and that Britain must have them.

Agreement Terminating. The correspondent continues that the Argentine has given notice, which expires on' September 30, that she wishes to end the bulk purchase agreement made in October. 1944. She is already extracting £8.000,000 more for meat from Britain than in 1939. Meat bought then for 3 15-16 d per pound has been forced up to syd. These prices do not include freight to England and the cost of distribution. To fight this battle, Sir Henry has all the best meat experts by his side. Behind the scenes is Colonel Juan Peron, the newly elected President, who recently demanded three times the present price for Argentinian beef. He knows he will not get it. But his statement is significant of the kind of terms that the Argentine seeks.

Britain’s Ace Card.

“In theory, unless these two teams of experts agree on prices, we shall cease taking the Argentine beef m slightly less than two months,” says the correspondent. “Nobody believes that will happen. If it did, the Argentine would be rather more woi - ried than the British Government. They would have between 400,000 and 500,000 tons of meat on thenhands in a year. “And then there is. Sir Henry Turner’s ace card, of which the Aroentine is so well aware that it must be getting a bit. dog-eared, by now: We own most of the world's ref ngerating ships. The Argentine could not produce enough shipping to move 10 per cent of her meat. And we certainly would not help her move it to any part of the world but England.”