“N.Z. Entitled To Say In British Meat Distribution”

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1949, Page 3

“N.Z. Entitled To Say In British Meat Distribution”

. ..WELLINGTON,. September 1 (P.A.). —Strong opposition to the British Government’s announced intention.. of nationalising the import and wholesale distribution of .meat whs expressed today by,the deputychairman of the Meat Board (Mr J. D. Ormond), in an address to the electoraE college of the board today. “The, United Kingdom gets 32 per cent, of her imported meats from our country,” said Mr ,Ormond. “Surely we . are entitled to .some say as to how it is handled. Let us act before it is tod late.” . If the British Government gave effect to its intention, every thing the New Zealand Meat Board had built by way of grading and quality would be thrown to the winds, said Mi’ Ormond, This would be a very seriouis state of affairs not only for the producer but for the economy of New Zealand. A Specialist’s Job It should be clear, he said, that he was not referring to Government to Government contracts but to the distribution of New Zealand meat in. the United Kingdom. This was a specialist’s job, built up over.a century, during which time the British people had had the right to choose for themselves. “We as a Dominion prided ourselves on producing the quality article that our consciences demanded,” said Mr Ormond, and what is more they have paid us a premium for it. In 1940 we. promised Britain we would stick to ,our grades, and we have done so, but if there is to be no more choice in Britain, and there won’t be under nationalisation, we will have been badly let down.” Loss Of Valuable Men The old distributing agencies were literally idle today and were being paid a commission for doing nothing, said Mr Ormond. Their top men. who were most valuable to the trade, were drifting to other jobs. There was hot a distributing organisation which was not opposed to this undesirable Government scheme, and butchers and housewives opposed it also. He met the New Zealand and Australian Agents’ Association, which was most definite about the great costs and weakness inherent in any such scheme. He met the president of the National Federation of Meat Traders and the past president of the London Retail Meat Trades Association on his recent visit to London and they said that nationalisation would be greatly detrimental to New Zealand meat, in that the incentive to quality production would be lost. He was satisfied that nationalisation would have a great effect on the meat-eating habits of the pepole of the United Kingdom, because the consumer would not have any opportunity of selection and would slowly but surely turn his attention to other foods, said Mr. Ormond.