LATE NEWS Meat Pool

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 18, 4 January 1922, Page 6

LATE NEWS Meat Pool

THE SUBJECT DISCUSSED, NORTH CANTERBURY OPINIONS. SCHEME APPROVED. [Per Tress Association. 3 Christchurch. January 4. The meat pool proposal was the subject of an address and discussion at a meeting of North Canterbury farmers. Mu. Banks, who presided, said that the pool was going to be a grat help to the producers. Naturally every vested interest was opposed to the scheme, as were agents who had been making thousands of pounds out of the producers, tile large proportion of winch should have gone to the producers. New Zcajand produce was not handled at the other end as it should be. The pool would make lor better handling and marketing. The f armers’ Union would not have been abie to carry through such a big scheme, which required powerful backing.' but with the Government’s co-operation it should be possible lor producers and the Government to work lor their mutual advantage. Mr. i). Jones, chairman of the Meat Pool Committee, spoke largely on the Lines of his previous speech on the subject at Ashburton. To save the industry, he said, there must be some economising in charges, which this year wumd be more than the farmer would receive lor his produce. It was high time the Government said vessels iiiuat load at certain ports. A. pooling scheme ul some kind had been Wanted b> a number ot freezing companies in New Zealand, but they had not been abie lq effect it. The position of thousands of owners of meat in New Zealand today was that the present prospective prices meant their wiping out. Exporters would receive every possible consideration but the Government must consider first the interests of the producers.

Air. H. F. Nicholl, chairman Meat Exporters? Association, said that the pool in the end would mean a disastrous drop in the price of meat and would eliminate competition in buying and selling at Home. It must also eliminate the meat exporter who could not buy if the scheme went through. He suggested a Board of Control to work with the companies in regard to sub-marks, freezing, freight, and shipment. After further discussion a motion was carried expressing the opinion tha* the time had arrived when a forwarc movement should be made to conserve the interests of producers and heartily approving of anything which may be done in connection with the meat pool which would be in the interest of producers.