THE WAR OFFICE AND THE MEAT SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11872, 25 January 1902, Page 5

THE WAR OFFICE AND THE MEAT SUPPLY.

INDIGNANT DENUNCIATION BY /•' MR. SEDDON. ' . [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington', Friday. Ms. Seddon was very emphatic to-day at the luncheon on board the Surrey in his protest against the action of the War Office concerning army, meat contracts. Ha had, he said, read with amazement in the newspaper that the meat contract bad gone to the Argentine. That in itself was hard to bear, but when it was s'aid also that Australia and New Zealand were unable to supply the quantity of meat required, he declared that this was a gross insult and was absolutely untrue. (Applause.) Here was New Zealand, with its 20,000,000 of sheep,'with its mutton in the Old Country and on the water, and yet they tell us that wo cannot supply . our troops in South Africa! Were they still asleep in the Mother Country? Did the War Office and the Home authorities want waking up? Because if they did they would get it. (Applause.) If they did, the colonies would have to , let. them know with no uncertain voice that Australia and New Zealand could give them supplies ample in quantity of the best quality. Our men in South Africa could fight much better if fed on our native mutton. It was almost enough to damp our ardour to say that they should be fed on Rivei Plate mutton, when there was plenty of Canterbury mutton here. He had been outspoken recently regarding the War Office, but In say what he had said he had not wished for a moment to cast any reflection upon General Lord Roberts —(applause)—for we adored Lord Roberts, and we knew that he would bring about reforms. (Hear, hear.) But there were departments of the War Office which demanded attention at the hands of the people, and it would be in the interests of the army if attention were given to these departments. For instance, thev had sent a cable message to him as Premier, asking him to advertise in the colony for supplies of meat, and they had informed him in the same communication that no tenders would be accepted unless it were on the form prescribed, that copies of this form had been posted, and that 'tenders would be accepted on January 6. The form 3 arrived on January 1 or 2, and he wanted to know how they imagined the tenders from New Zealand could have been in London by January 6. Mr. Witheford : They did not want it done.

Mr. Seddon: It would appear to him as though they had done . this deliberately, that at the last moment they had' been forced to call for tenders in the colony, and they had accordingly made the conditions such that it would be impossible to tender. But when - they declared that we could not supply the quantity required for the troops it was time to speak plainly. He had spoken plainly, and he meant to act also. (Applause.) The last tiling he had done before leaving his office was to send a cable message to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, pointing out the grave injustice done to Australia and New Zealand. (Applause.) If every ounce of meat to feed the troops in South Africa went from Australia there would bo no jealousy, no heartburnings, on the part of the people of New Zealand. (Applause;) The people of Australia were our kindred, our friends, and neighbours, and when it came to'allowing a foreign nation to supply an article we could supply ourselves, Ave naturally felt irritated. This was a case in which wo were united with Australia 1 to make our voice heard in the best interests of the Empire. On the following day they would have through the colony tenders called for a direct service between Now Zealand and the Cape. (Applause.) The Government, in arranging for that service, and in arranging for refrigerating appliances and machinery, had taken into consideration the supplying of meat to South Africa. To bring in the Argentine, however, would militate against this project, and to that extent would prejudicially affect what New Zealand was doing in respect to this steamer service. Moreover, if. this preference were given to the Argentine there would be direct lines of steamers from the Argentine to South Africa, and thus they would bring a foreign Power and foreign people into competition with tho peopio of ]New Zealand and the people of Australia. To have those in authority assisting others to the detriment of our colonies, which were making cheerfully these great sacrifices, showed a want of consideration which, he must say, was unpardonable. (Mr. Witheford: " Keep back the Eighth Contingent till it's rectified.") - Ho was sure that it was not the British Government nor the head of the War Office that was to blame. There was some reason for it. It could not be that tho paltry few pounds would make this difference. Surely this would not weigh as against what Australia had done, and was doing, or as against what New Zealand had done, and was doing, and would do. To say that we could not supply the quantity of meat required either showed gross ignorance or there was some other reason. He had an idea of this other reason. He had an idea that British capital had been invested largely in the Argentine, and ho had an idea that that capital had met with a response, and that this was responsible for what had occurred. He would not go further into this question at present. He hoped to have a reply to tho communication, which would be satisfactory, and that when we proved, as we could prove, that we could supply not only the quantity, but a superior quality, of meat, the contracts made with the Argentine would be cancelled, and the people of the colonies given the fair opportunity to which they were entitled.

The cable message which is the foundation, of the Premier's indignant denunciation of the War Office was as follows:—" It is understood that the contract for the supply of meat for the array in South Africa has been given to a syndicate, including Messrs. Birt, Potter, Hughes, M. Bergl, Boulder, the Cross Company, co-operating with Mr. Cecil Rhode?, Mr. Alfred Birt. and the De Beers Consolidated Mines Company, who undertake distribution. establishing a new company, and erecting- cold stores. It is reported that the price of frozen meat will he 5Jd a pound, including distribution. It is reported that the contracts will include a proportion of Arsontine meat, the War Office agreeing to accept this on the- grounds that Australia is unable to supply the whole, despite the Agents-Gene-ral's representation to the contrary."