“Squirrels On A Treadmill”— State Control Of Britain’s Meat Trade Criticised

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1950, Page 5

“Squirrels On A Treadmill”— State Control Of Britain’s Meat Trade Criticised

[N.Z.P.A. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT]

LONDON, December 1 (Rec. 10,39 a.m.).—“We are like squirrels on a treadmill,” said Sir Henry Turner, formerly Director of Livestock at the Ministry of Food, when discussing the present meat situation in Britain in a speech to the Association of Multiple Retail Meat Traders. The present policy of the British Government, he declared, was wrong. Sir Henry said he left the Ministry with mixed feelings. It was a great wrench after 11 years to leave. It must be obvious however that it was a relief to him to be away from the responsibility for a policy which, while it is essential and quite proper to support during the war years, was getting more and more out of touch with the facts of life. Classless Society

The current trend towards a classless society, with no morale initiative or rewards and no punishments, required a great deal of thought, he said. “This classless society would be all right if human nature was perfect—we should all be in Utopia,” said Sir Henry. e are not fit for Utopia and we shall never be fit so long as we remain human.” Sir Henry felt that the meat trade in Britain need not fear nationalisation. A trade founded on the choice or prejudice of consumers couldn’t be nationalised and he felt sure that when the Government had examined the situation more thoroughly _ it would realise that it would be impossible to nationalise and at the same time satisfy the public, as well as carry out promises of guaranteed prices to producers both at home and overseas.

Sir Henry said he looked forward to the day when the Government •would say to the trade: “We cannot satisfy the public any longer and we are handing the job back to you.” When that day came trade must be ready to do the job properly. It would meet some appalling difficulties and have to adapt itself to conditions which would be in a good many ways

rather different from those which existed pre-war.. This was a matter which should be given a great deal of thought and all sections of the trade should be ready to bridge the deep gulf between satisfying the public on one hand and the producers on the other. It would need a lot of courage and hard work and a lot more of the patience that the trade had been exercising for so long. Until the return to private enterprise the trade wo.uld not get back to anything like economic health. Britain’s Rationing

It was sad thought that Britain was the only country—outside of the Iron Curtain —where meat rationing still operated. The ration had gone louver at some periods after the war than it did at any time during the war. Sir Henry likened the present situation to squirrels on a treadmill. It was this vicious circle from which they had to break away. Sir Henry said he could not and '-'muld not blame for the trade’s tro ib . >s the team he had won 1 with ... any of his civil service colleagues. “It is the policy which is wrong,” ho concluded.