MINISTRY OF FOOD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, Issue LIV, 16 October 1920, Page 8

MINISTRY OF FOOD

I —! ! TRI'IA.TMKNT OF NFAV ZFIAIANIV imuuoTs. On his return from Kngland, Mr. -Massey made some strong criticisms of the methods of the Ministry of Food in Kngland, and from time to tune others have pointed out (lie unfair treatment meted out lo New Zealand produce in comparison to Home-grown produce, remarks I lit* Farmers’ Union Advocate. One ol our complaints in selling _ outproduce at ,!o\v prices tor t he benefit of Mio Knglish consumer has been the fact that the prices of our produce have been fixed for the wholesale!, and no rest rict ion has been placed on ihe rctailer, with, the result Hint the specnlaior lias reaped ('iionnous profits out of uiir generosii-y. Kater, when retail prices were controlled, tho control alVt'cied only imported produce. 'Continuation of'our complaints comes from Mr. T. (’. lirnsh, the representative of the National Dairy Association, who, in writing to a, friend in New Zealand, says r— . ‘“I am afraid I am becoming a chronic growler, hut. it is really difli full, to make a ‘joylid noise when one realises the treatment moled out to the Mow Zealand producers by the Food Ministry. First, we have tho meat position. By their method of handling —or perhaps X should say by (heir lack of method—-they hare allowed tho cool stores here and' tho cool stores in New Zen.land to become blocked with meat; and now the meat-prod ncer in New Zealand i R iff a position where he cannot. utilise his own stores, her will the Food Ministry give him a chare of the refrigerated shipping space. -Kindly note hero that the shipping is now in I,he hands of the Food Ministry. makes it. Sr, much the worse for New Zealand. Then we have the position '•ecarding butter. in spite of tho fact that, an entirely free market has been to the producers of Fug and, Scotland, and Ireland, not the slightest notice is paid to our request lor similar treatment. And now theie has been added another item to my reasons for 'grouch,’ v!/.., apples. IJp to the present apples have been oelling on a, "controlled price in this country, and here note that apples are the only green U nit that is controlled. The eontrn led wholesale price ban been M pm fb , ex the wharf This, after paying all charges - such as freight, export, packing. 'etc., has given the New Zealand ■aid Australian growers 'Ud per lb. for Hie, fruit AH the imported fruit (fom Mev/ Zealand and the Commonwealth which can arrive this season has arrived and the annles of the producers of the British Isles are coming on to the market. Tn spite of tho fact that ii,~ ll„mn urArbicci’ has hoc** receiving, under control, the price of Fid a .1b.% pins cost of package, he is now to bo given an. entirely free market. New Zealanders could have no reason for complaint against the good fortune of the Home producer hut—and it is a serious Mint’—tho price will he <'-on(rolled again after November, when all home-grown apples are 'this is Hie decision of the hood Controller, Home-grown apples equal to New_ Zea-* ’and apples—if there are any—will go up to at least Is a l.b ‘One prominent member of the Buffer and (Theeso^ Advisory Committee to the Fond Ministry said to me some time ago that the treatment of New Zealand was ‘damnable.’ Ap a New Zealander, I I was inclined to agree with him.’