COMMANDEERING OF MEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16824, 13 October 1916, Page 2

COMMANDEERING OF MEAT

ATTITUDE OF FARMERS. At a meeting of the Sheepowner»' Union yesterday the president of the Otago branch ot the Farmers' Union (Mr James Begg) and the secretary (Mr Hugh Mitchell) attended as a deputation, by request, to place the Otago Farmers' Union's views on the question of comniandecnng meat before the meeting. It was stated thit there was a great deal of discontent among farmers in connection with the disposal ot moat, paiticularly lamb, which had been commandeered by the Government. The farmers were quite satisfied with the price received, if they could be satisfied that, the difterence between .that price and the present market value of the meat benefited the right parties; but on this point they were fai from satisfied. As our meat had been taken at a pries considerably below its market value, they were I entitled to know who got the difterence Inquiries on the subject had not met with very illuminating replies. Mr Massey confessed to being ignorant, and the cablegrams from the High Commissioner had been quite unsatisfactory, and had always missed or evaded the principal point raised. The farmers wished to be satisfied that either our own Government, the Imperial Government or the British public was getting the benefit; but the evidence, as far as it went, seemed to show that the undoubtedly large profits were soing elsewhere.' The question was, where ? The farmers were not content to take leas than market value for their meat and allow the difference to enrich <!pociilators and middlemen. New Zealand lamb had been quoted at 9Arl wholesale on the same market in which Argentine lamb was selling for Is and over. If Now Zealand lamb was going on the market in the ordinary way. it would bring at least as much as Argentine lamb. Thero was no reason to believe that any difference existed in the retail trade, or that Argentine lamb had suddenly improved so enormously in quality, and the farmers Ihonght the sheepowners of New Zealand should insist on knowing who was pocketing these profits. If everything had been open and above board in disposing of the meat not -required for the army, there was no need for any sccreey. If'satisfied on the above point, the farmers were not going to complain about the price.