MEAT POOL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 3108, 29 December 1921, Page 5

MEAT POOL.

ORGANISED OPPOSITION. WKAKNRSSKS POINTED OUT. Tliroughoni the Dominion organised opposition is being brought In bear against the proposed New Zealand meat pool scheme winch, while not condemned in toto, is being adversely criticised in respect to several of its salient features. Interviewed by a "Standard’ representative, Mr M. A. Eliott, New /o inland representative of Messrs Gilbert Anderson and Co. (London), stated that the object of the petition being circulated in this district, reference to which was made in these columns yesterday, was not to try to prevent", the pool being formed, Inti: was rather only to preserve the rights ol the individual to sell or deal with his stock as he considered best in his own interests. In some respects there were a number of points in the scheme which would be ol considerable benefit to the farmers, but in ills present- form it would be fatal to the welfare of the producing interests ol tne Dominion. "If the pool is formed as at present proposed,” continued Mr Kliott. "(lie result init-i he that no freezing company or exporter will purchase stock lor freezing. It therefore means that all meat must hi' put into one huge series of coin signmenls. No farmer would know what his slock was actually worth until the linal adjustments were made at a very indefinite period in the future. It is obvious that no freezing company or exporter would purchase -lock with the knowledge that the meat would have to be pooled, the ultimate re.snlt_ being ol the greatest uncertainty. it is for the producer to say whether this oi affairs would be lo Ins intere-t or not. li’iirther enquiries made by our representative went to show that the strongest opposition to the proposed scheme was coming from the freezing companies and export houses. "As has been pointed out in t nntcrhiiry. where there is a big oulci v against the sein'ine. ’ remarked one

authority, " sneii an arrangement as lias been -tigge-ied teem- with didieuities. As lo the Roard of Gontrol. the insistent questions are: Who will compose the hoard, and what will its constitution! be.' Have anv arrangements been made tor executive’ olbeers'.' What practical experience have 1 those who constituted that department had of the business I nder the proposed pool scheme then' t- no delimit' pi ice, and no definite price can lie given: it, provides merely for a huge consign br-ine-. and the farmer would not know what price 1„- wa' to receive for his slock until the whole of the meat had been -old and the pool shut tip. Ihe arrangements under the Uoinniandeer worked reasonably smoothly, because ail Ibe New Zealand Government had to do was to account to the Imperial Government or the correct quantities of meat put into the work', and pay out on behalf of the Imperial’ Government accordingly. Gonsepnenllv the Imperial Supplies Department wa- ..’.ore like a huge accounting department, and its functions praclicahi teasel when the meat was shipped I rom the Dominion, which is just the point at wind, tin- troubles of tin' proposed pool would |)(-<>j n There wa- no element of buying and selling in the ordinary normal acceptation of those terms m connection with the transactions of the Impend Supplies Department. Jbe pool would 1,,!' the job of finding the market for M Un- meat produc'd in tin* Dm union, and instead of having one customer to deal with at a known price, it would have o make the best terms possible y.itli t n multiplicity of linns ami n.d.v, duals. From tie- very nature ot the pool lh premium a-t present attached to the Ik-1 brands would be lost. GRADING N’O'l 1-KASIRLL. “,\ s to llte functions of the proposed hoard it has to be borne in mind that the London meat buyer discnniinates between j , n ,eat produced m the dtllerenl (listnets , ■ Domini...., He will not pay the same price for Otago lamb as he w. < Gan.erln.ry, or for Southland land as hewill pay lor Otago, and so on. L.tdt triet Inis dill’ereni climatic conditions, and ij i! character of the stock vanes, and all are merged under one stain an 11 J seem inevitable that there would be a '* ling down, instead of a levelling up, pm-

Referring io another point, our informant slated that grading by dm .overnmeut would Simply he an meoimve k tl^ ,o net as much meal as posstm illil in ,he prune grade, whereas unde presenl eond.lmi.s each ronipany je.domJy pioteeted the reputation won by > Ii'"t 11 (Is \nrumeiii‘S l on . .. . tSnA "I U.no.-c.iHl ;..w beiwecu meal. Those products, btitlei and could he graded according lo mois--1 ' | .... 1 ), To grade million and ■ : r.^rs.,£

m Loudon might easily sch’d 1 , mod ior selling f o.l'. of o.nf.. and e ■ , valuable mulct. r l hero would 1m n ‘ u n.annemeni for London buyers to "A moat lorward fmu. a CSovernmct boar ~ ~ iho longer nm uu ". 1 "u U«ii.o .tic IT'v"“ ,t t «"'> i«'>r, „r‘v,.ilmlis in lII'- ? ‘ m'-trkei ittg a vorv large proportion of ,he stock was in the hands of j lie lu'fore the niiot was even shipped. Any ■ I. o-i’a-a,."’ J X; .i,,, IVf of meat to the* hrms a' ! 1 ‘f 1,1 ostoiisihio for its ultimate distnhnJ l ’",' m ,1,1 only result, in weakening the ..it i■ i 1 1 1 '• 1 1 and would, event ttalK• i ,os, " ou J L'°: present conditions 5,..: r.Xn-cud h is r isk «. | . i„,to the blivet- the responsiIllii.V .!(' liiiiliiiß 11-|. """-C'-I '« •' 1 ( ,f the local farmers’ 1 nton and rt l* Associations will meet al I al- , Vorih on Friday uioruing to elect i- nn'fsto - il)(> |irt - H | ll( . t ,,. s > eotifereiice - oi, .laut,t„-v 10 in eouneetmu 1 with the proposed meat punk