AUSTRALIAN MEAT TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19038, 7 December 1923, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN MEAT TRADE

COUNCIL SEEKS ASSISTANCE

THE INDUSTRY IN DIFFICULTIES.

Prase Association—By Telegraph—Oopyrigot

SYDNEY, December 6. A deputation from the Meat Council asked Dr Elarle Page (Acting Prime Minisister) to finance its works until it could raise a levy which it would be unable to do until the various States passed the necessary legislation. Unless the Commonwealth Government helped it over the gap the council would have to go out of existence.

Mr A. G. Manning, a member of the House of Representatives, said that if they could not find overseas markets for beef they would have to reduce the production.

Mr Bell (Queensland) stated that stock had been sold from pails of his State at 3d per head. If the present conditions continued Queensland would go out of the beef export business. He added that the council asked for only £20,000, which would be repaid when the States passed the necessary legislation. Dr Earle Page, in reply, referred the deputation to Sir Georg© culler. He sugfested that the council should ask the tato Ministry to legislate immediately to legalise the levies. He promised to submit to the Federal Cabinet the question of tiding the council over until it was able to enforce the levy.

SIR GEORGE FULLER APPROACHED.

OPPOSED TO A LEVY,

SYDNEY, December 6.

(Received December 6, at 10.15 p.m.)

Following upon Dr Earle Page’s recommendation to apply to Sir George Fuller, the deputation from the Meat Council waited on the State Premier and asked him to introduce a Bill authorising .the levy. In reply, Sir George Fuller stated that he was against the levy, and the Meat Bill would not be put through this session, but would be referred to a Select Committee, which would sit during the recess, *

SIR HENRY JONES’S PROPOSALS.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

DISCUSSED

SYDNEY, December 6. The Meat Council discussed Sir Henry Jones’s ' proposals to send meat to Germany and to form a distributing company to acquire retail shops in Britain. The speakers expressed the opinion that as these shops would necessarily have to deal with other meats beside Australian the proposal should include the payment of a bonus to shopmen to push the Australian product. 'The meeting carried a resolution of sympathy with the project, but ..stated that the council could undertake no financial responsibility in connection with the matter.

It is understood that Sir Henry Jon.ee suggested that £1,000,000 should be raised to finance the scheme by means of ordinary shares, which his firm would be prepared to underwrite. Another suggestion is that £500,000 should be raised by Government debentures and £600,000 by preference shares', the whole to carry 7 per cent, interest.

ARGENTINA'S COMPETITION,

AUSTRALIA LOSING GROUND.

LONDON, December 6,

The Central News Agency says that Mr Bruce’s contention that the Australian, meat trade is being captured by Argentina is amply borne out by an analysis of the supplies of meat to the London central markets during the eleven months of 1923. The Australasian beef supplies in that period declined by 9,086 tons, compared with a similar period in 1922, whilst the South American shipments increased by 19,425 tons. The Australasian mutton supplies decreased by 860 tons, and the South American (supplies increased by 9437 tons. —A. and N.Z. Cable.