THE MEAT POOL.

Northern Advocate, 3 January 1922, Page 4

THE MEAT POOL.

Mr Massey's meat pool scheme for New Zealand evidently has aroused very widespread interest: Representatives of the meat trade? in Great Britain are so concerned about it that they waited on Sir James Allen last week and asked him to convey their protest against the scheme to Mr Massey. They

declare that a pool, by destroying private enterprise, will create a precedent in expropriation, and they compare this action with the notorious Queensland legislation that cancelled pastoral leases. The cases, of courses, are not parallel, for in the Queensland instance an express contract with investors w?.s broken. The British representative® claim that the contemplated action of the Newj-Zealand Government and producers "is of paramount importance to ■financiers and business men interested in colonial investments." The suggestion is obviously absurd, and it may be hoped that the implied attempt to injure the Dominion will fall correspondingly flat. If the creation of a meatpool nvolved expropriation, the same would be true of almost any commercial enterprise connected with export trf'de which might be undertaken in this country. The meat pool scheme lias nothing to do with any contract, for there has been none. It is interesting, however, to know .that the meat trade will raise strong opposition to the scheme, and it is therefore all the more necessary that the producers should give it the most earnest considers tori. In this district the people who will be affected by the scheme if it is adopted will have their opportunity to discuss it at a meeting in Whangarqj on Thursday afternoon. Every producer should make a point of attending and lending his help to the efforts to solve vhe great meat problem.