THE TRUST MENAGE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11048, 3 November 1921, Page 3

THE TRUST MENAGE

COMPLAINT OF PRODUCERS HIGH PRICE OP NEW ZEALAND MEAT IN LONDON. GOVERNMENT BLAMED. Per Press Association. WANGANUI, November 2. “I disagree entirely with trusts as they are not in New Zealand for the producers’ benefit,” said Mr W. J. Poison, Dominion president of the Farnters’ Union, at a meeting of the Wanganui stab-centre of the Farmers’ Union. “I am not in favour of Armour’s, but I disapprove of the extraordinary way that the Government has gone about things.. Armour and Companv have a legitimate .grievance and could mulct the Government in heavy damages. They put all their cards on the table, and told them what they proposed to/ do, and after they had done it. the Government, not by legislation, but under the Customs Act, came down on them. “I want to see Armour’s meat get out of the way. The point seems to be this: while they are worrying about Armour and Company net shifting their meat, they are not worrying about trusts actually owning freezing works in New Zealand without word from the Government at all. At present we axe trying to build up a co-pperative system to send our meat Home and market it to the retailer instead of middlemen getting enormous profits; but what is Hie use of that when the bulk of our freezing works axe owned by foreign trusts. The Government is making a tremendous noise about Armour -and Company getting a quantity of meat out of New Zealand after consulting them; but they should pass legislation to prevent foreign trusts owning any freezing works in New Zealand without the full consent of the Government. They are bothering about the shadow and leaving the substance alone. Armour and Company should be allowed to go on and get rid of the meat they havo already bought. It the mercy of trusts. “The trusts at the present time have practioallv a monopoly of the world’s beef market, and butchers at Home have to go to them because they are dependent upon them for mutton, too. The result is that trusts pay New Zealand producers what they like and sell at their own price, too. New Zealand ewe and wether mutton is fetching at Hiraroe 5d to s ld. There is authentic information that in no case is it Tek®B t ? lan I s 6d per lb, a fact which has been backed up by the cables from the High Commissioner. WHO BENEFITS? “Un ring the war there was a regulation that Home butchers should only get 3d per lb profit and they dad particularly well. Npw Biey complain through their trade journals that they are only getting 2d per lb profit. Seemg the price that New Zealand producers get, the question is, who is making the other lid or Is 2d? There is no question about powerful organisations in London making hundreds of thousands owt of New Zealand products, and like a lot of Bleep the New Zealand people let them do it. We want a concrete scheme to get over this, ana pnt the enormous amount of money m the pockets of New Zealand farmeiw. We must see that the trusts do not control our freezing works, and this is where legislation is needed.”