MONOPOLY FEARS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22173, 29 July 1935, Page 5

MONOPOLY FEARS

SAFEGUARD IN DOMINION POLICY OF THE BOARD FREE AND OPEN MARKET A statement outlining: its policy in connection with the development of overseas meat interests in the Dominion has been issued hv the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board. The board states*: —If complete freedom in regard to slaughtering and exporting stock were granted, the freezing works and the export business would rapidly become the property of the large overseas interests. The trade in Britain would then have to buy from these exporters and the open market in Britain for our meat would disappear or be severely curtailed. We want the strongest competition possible for stock in the field in New Zealand that is consistent with a free and open market in Britain for meat. Ever since the formation of the board one of the most important parts of its policy has been to watch the development of overseas meat interests in the Dominion, and whenever the board considered any such developments were not in the best interests of the meat producers, the matter became the subject of a recommendation to the Minister of Agriculture. No firm or person will be allowed to export a quantity which in the opinion of the board would deprive other traders of a reasonable share of the output. Any attempt by a company or group of companies to establish anything in the nature of a monopoly will not be permitted. It may even be necessary to restrict competition which temporarily gives farmers a higher price, as what is called free competition now may only be a prelude to no competition in the near future. 'J'he board refers to conditions overseas and states that a few big meat concerns now largely control the South American and Australian supplies. Dealing with conditions in the Argentine, the board states that the overseas companies control the works and lay down the price each week and the amount of fat stock they will take. There is considerable dissatisfaction among the Argentine farming community as to the prices they receive. Drastic powers have j now been taken by the Argentine Government to deal with the position, but the damage has been done and it may be extremely difficult to put right. Meantune, the producers have for years been suffering loss. THE EXPORT SEASON EXPANSION IN SHIPMENTS RETURNS TO JULY 15 An increase in the shipments from New Zealand of all classes of meat, except frozen quarter beef, is shown in the latest returns of the Meat Producers' Board for the season to July 15. The export of lamb from October 1, 1934, to July 15, 1935, amounted to 7,785.860 carcases, compared with 7,300.15 i carcases in the same period last season. Mutton shipments were 1.557.208 carcases, against 1,230.164 carcases, and pork shipments, 467,598 carcases, against 334,797 carcases. The export of chilled beef was 51,431 quarters, compared with 17,958 quarters, and of boneless beef, 217,234 bags, against 214,218 bags. In frozen beef, 296.344 quarters were exported, against 385,690 quarters last season. Killings of stock for the same period in the two seasons compare as follows : 193-1-35 1933-84 Beef (quarters) .. .. 575.705 351.253 'Wethers te'ee.) .. 945,146 8,'!9,329 Ewcb (e'es.) .. .. 1,187,996 957.417 Lambs (e'es.) .. .. 6.816,621 8.733.527 Porkern (e'es.) .. 419.516 339,915 Baooncrs ic'cs.l .. 150.034 302.712 Boneless beef ifrt. e'es.) 301.100 512.328 Sundrieß (frt. e'es.) .. 300,444 250,196 Stocks in store in New Zealand at July 15 compare as follows: —Beef (quarters), 95.031 (11i,i29); wethers (carcases), 249.201 (265.719); ewes (carcases), 393.146 ( 332.536); lambs (carcases), 989.853 (1,435.469); porkers (carcases), 104,858 (116,474); bacon ers (carcases), 15,181 (14,230); boneless beef (freight carcases), 104,584 (185,597); sundries (freight carcases), 73,852 (68.096). In addition, the fol-io-wing stocks were loaded into vessels not departed from New Zealand on July 15:—Beef. 13.855 (6730); wethers, 20,551 (11,106); ewes, 18.662 (4795'): lambs, 118,515 (67.929); porkers, 12,055 (9404); baconers, 5999 (907). PRICES OF METALS TIN FIRMER AGAIN (Received July 28, 5,5 p.m.) LONDON", July 27 Following were yesterday's quotations on the London metal market, .compared with those of July 25: July 28 July 25 Per ton Per ton £bd £ a d Copper, stan., spot 31 1 3 31 10 7* Copper, plnn., 3 mos. 31 9 'sh 31 1? 9 Copper, electrolytic . . 34 10 0 34 15 0 to to 34 15 0 35 5 0 Copper, elec... wire bars 34 15 0 35 5 0 Lead. soft, spot . . Id 2 6 15 0 0 Lend, soft, forward - • 15 2 6 15 0 0 Speiter, spot . . 14 3 9 14 8 9 Spelter, forward . . 14 3 9 14 8 9 Tin. ft an., spot . . 2:'.2 5 0 230 0 0 Tin. stan.. 3 mos. . . 220 5 0 220 5 0 Quotations for other metals, with last -week's prices in parentheses, are: —Pig iron: Home trade, £3 7s 6d (£3 7s 6d); export, £3 2s 6d (£3 2s 6d). Antimony: British, £*4 10s (£<4 10s); foreign. £45 5s (£45 15s). Molybdenite, £1 14s 6d (£1 14s 6d) a unit. Wolfram, £1 14s 6d (£1 lis 6d) a unit. HIGH YIELD FROM COW [from or p. own cok respondent ] HAMILTON, Saturday The cow which gave the best yield of the 109,715 animals tested by the New Zealand Co-operative Herd-Testing Association, Limited, during the 1934-35 season was Greencroft Golden Grace, a pedigree three-year-old Jersey owned and bred by Mr. J. Bones, of Kaipaki. Greencroft Golden Grace gave Sol lb. butter-fat in 364 days. She is a daughter of AI ma dale Golden Ruler out of Cousin Grace, both animals hcing the progeny of rioted imported sires. Cousin Grace topped the association's list of producers with 9351b. butter-fat for the 1930 31 season as a three-year-old, achieving a Now Zealand record. Ihis cow, which was also owned by Mr Bones, died two years ago. OPOSSUM SKIN SALE Dalgety and Company, Limited, reports that at the opossum skin sale held in Dutiedin on Friday. 10,700 skins were offered, the firm's catalogue being 7300 skins. There was a strong demand for light colours. Quotations: —Blues, 5s 7(1 to lis 7d; greys, 5s to 9s lid; average, 5s to 7s.