THE MEAT POOL.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2006, 23 December 1921, Page 5

THE MEAT POOL.

i ■ » mi CONDEMNED BY MR. ELGAR. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, December 22. Mr Charles Elgar. chairman of the Wellington Meat Export Company, who has just arrived from London, said: "As far as I can understand Mr Massey's proposals, they are basically wrong and cannot possibly succeed. It is quite a mistake to formulate any scheme at the present time when things arc far from normal anywhere." Asked what he thought of the suggestion of the Premier for setting up a committee of experts in New Zealand and another committee of experts in London to forward and receive the meat, Mr Elgar detailed the routino at present observed in selling meat in London. "This routine," he said, "has been built up after years of experience, and the men engaged in the business are some of the cleverest brains in England. At present New Zealand meat is sold through brokers in London, and any scheme such as Mr Massey proposes would naturally antagonise them if the committee superseded them. You w;ould simply drive them into dealing with the meat of other countries," said Mr Elgar, "and I may say that the competition is quite keen enough as it is in all except our lamb. It is no use making enemies of these brokers, who have been in the business for years. Even if Mr Massey should say, 'Oh, well, we intend to still employ these brokers, we will do business through them, but under the control of the committee,' I still maintain that the pool is a mistake. My reason for saying so is that if you are going to employ these London brokers there is no reason whatever for a committee and a costly army of officials, because these London brokers are at the top of the tree in their business and know exactly when to sell better than any committee can tell them."