MONOPOLY FEARS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 August 1935, Page 3

MONOPOLY FEARS

SAFEGUARD IN THE DOMINION; WELPAIv.TON, August 2. A statement outlining its policy ;in connection with the ; development 'of overseas meat interests in the" Dominion has been issued by the New Zealand ■Meat Producers’ Board. The board states: —If complete freedom in regard to slaughtering and exporting stock were granted, the freezing works and the export business 'would rapidly become the property of the large overseas interests. The trade in Britain for our meat would disappear or be severely curtailed. We want the strongest competition possible for stock in the field in New Zealand that is consistent with a free and open market di Britain for meat. Ever since the formation of. the board one of the most important partg of its policy has been to watch the development of overseas meat interests irt' the Dominion, and whenever the board coijsiderd any such developments were not in the best interests of the meat, producers, the matter became the subject of a rccom'mendaion to the Minister of Agriculture.

No firm or person will be allowed to export a quantity which in the opinion of the board would deprive other traders of a reasonable share of the output. Any attempt by a company or group of companies to establish anything in the nature of a monoplv will not be permitted. It may even be necessary to restrict competition which temporarily gives farmers a higher price as what is called free competition now >nnv onlv be a prelude to no competition in the near future.

The hoard refers to conditions overseas and states that a few big meat con'•erns now largely control the South American and .Australian supplies. Dealing with conditions in the Argentine, the board states that the overseas com--anios control the works and lay down the "price each week and the amount of fat stock they will take. There is considerable dissatisfaction among the Argentine farming community as to the prices they receive. Drastic powers have now been taken by the Argentine Government to deal with the position, hut the damage has been done and it may he extremely difficult to put right. Meantime, the producers have for years been suffering loss.