MEAT PROBLEM

Grey River Argus, 19 March 1941, Page 7

MEAT PROBLEM

— <<»»- PROGRESS OF CONFERENCE. I Per Press Association] WELLINGTON March 17. The deliberations of the committee representative of all sections interested in the frozen meat industry, will be resumed in Wellington on Wednesday. At one stage on Friday it appeared that the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board would not take any part in the discussions on the meat crisis; but after an adjournment cooperation was obtained. No mention was made In the official report of the establishment of the committee of the disagreement of the producers’ representatives with the Government's proposals that recommendations for dealing with tne industry’s problems should be made by the general committee. According to reports, the Meat Board contended that the responsibility for making recommendations rested with it, and its delegates at first declined to sit at the conference. Both the Minister for Finance (the Pion. W. Nash) and the Minister for Marketing (the Hon. J. G. Barclay), are stated to have made an earnest plea to the Meat Board to drop its fight with other interests in the national interest at a time when the country was at war and industry was facing a crisis. ■ The conciliatory work was effective, for later in the day the beard agreed that it would be represented on the committee. A probable development later on from the setting up of the committee is that a council representing all sections of the industry will be formed. Although joint action, it is reported. is being taken by the New Zealand and Australian Governments in negotiations with Britain for the shipping of increased quantities of meat, no steps have been taken so far in New Zealand to. follow the Australian decision not to accept the lower grades of meat for export. The latest reported development in New Zealand is that baconers will not be accepted, and one of the problems which the committee is likely to discuss is the possible rush to freezing works of breeding pigs. In the best-informed quarters the view is held that those pigs will be of value only as choppers, and even then will not be wanted. An unollicial estimate has been made that pork already in storage in the Dominion will be sufficient for this country’s requirements for at least a year. It has also been computed that if the New Zealand public was allowed Io feed itself on meat to its maximum capacity, there would still remain tn storage by the end of the season a quantity approaching 150,000 tons if the present situation continues. These points were made in one explanation of the gravity ol the situation. It is believed that the Government is strongly opposeci to suggestions that one solution of the problem is to put surplus meat “down the shuts” for conversion into, fertilisers.