SHORTAGE OF MEAT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 November 1924, Page 5

SHORTAGE OF MEAT.

v . OAUSI] OF HIGHER PRICES. BY, CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. LONDON, Nov. 20. The Daily Telegraph comments editorially that the ordinary consumer will be tempted to regard the quick advance ini the price of meat during the past few days as a clear case of profiteering} y e V "the increase is directly attributable to a deficiency, which last week amounted to 781 tons in the case of. mutton and lamb imported from Australia and New Zealand and 438 tons of beef from South America, as compared with the corresponding week of 1923, while; the only offset was an increase of 19 tons of home-raised meat. The Morning Post says that one result of the internationalisation of commerce is that the , competition of countries outside the Empire, by its mere weight , mass, presses heavily upon the Dominions, restricting access to the. British market and in practice fixing prices. : Sir Edmund Vesty, in a statement to the Morning Post regarding that paper’s article in yesterday’s issue, says: -. “Not only we, but every other retailer of imported meat, welcome a Government inquiry. The Union Gold Storage Company is doing its best to keep down the cost of meat, and is always scouring the face of the globe fo secure meat at reasonable prices.” He emphasises that the advance in the cost of cattle in Argentina was over a hundred per cent, during the past six months, and he points out that whereas England formerly was the only buyer of frozen and chilled meat the War has educated Germany, France, Belgium, Holland and Italy, who are now taking immense quantities, creating new conditions that are beyond the power of this or any other Government to alter. No material

change is possible until the price paid for cattle in the world’s markets makes it an attractive business, for cattle growers to increase their herds “The talk about unreasonable profits in the retail imported meat business is absurd,” he added. ' Asked for the reason for the material advance in the retail price on the wholesale cost, he told the reporter to go and buy a carcase at Smithfield, cut it up and dispose of it, and he would discover for himself the prices at which he could afford to sell. The Morning Post understands that the Government has before it a scheme providing for an estimate of home . consumption , for six months ahead. The amount of home grown meat availwould be discovered, and the Dominions would be permitted to sun- . ply the > deficiency under license the balance, if any, to be provided from foreign sources. Further, a license scheme would ) permit the Government tt> extend reciprocal treatment to the " Dominions without in any wav increasing the cost of living here or involving imposition of a tariff on the same : K commodity imported from foreign sources. It would ensure Dominion meat growers a fair price and prompt returns, and it would be an important step towards making' the Empire independent. The scheme was submitted ■ t 0 Mr. J. H. Thomas, who was Secretary for the- Colonies in 'the- Labour Government, but no decision harl arrived at regarding it when the Labourites left office..