BRITISH FOOD COMMISSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19476, 11 May 1925, Page 9

BRITISH FOOD COMMISSION

THREE REPORTS.

THE MEAT QUESTION.

DECLINE OF HOME PRODUCTION.

BUYING BINGS COMMON

Treas Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, May 8. The Food Commission has issued one majority and two minority report*. The minority reports are signed- by Mr 1. a.. ■Kyland and Mr W. R. Smith respectUTiu! majority report principally -recommends the establishment of a Food Council to maintain continuing supervision over staple food prices. In connection with the port charge** on wheat, it recommends the port authorities carefully to consider the rates witn a view to making reductions in the 'near future. , , The report favours the compulsory registration. of retail butchers, and endorses the recommendation of the Linlithgow' committee that the cold storage proprietors should be required to furnish statistics in connection with the stocks of meat in cold stores, these, to.be published at the Food Council’s discretion. It recommends the council closely to watch future developments in regard to the import of meat from Argentina, since it of opinion that it may be necessary for the Government to intervene by acquiring a controlling interest in British companies operating in Argentina, or by other means, if the supply of chilled frozen meat to Britain should bo dominated by adverse trading combinations. . . The report expresses the opinion that the Government may wish to discuss with tlie dominion Governments the possibility of encouraging the interests of the producer and the consumer in the flow of food from the dominions to the markets in Britain. It recommends the Government to exorcise its influence to ensure that the economic section of the League of Nations shall continuously study international food problems and prepare periodical reports for submission to .the League’s Council. The report declares that the operations of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board have not been an important factor in determining a higher average level of mutton and lamb prices during the past three years. It seems to bo generally admitted that the board has succeeded m reducing the activities of speculators, but, the report cannot endorse the view that the operations of the lioard run counter to the general interests of the British consumers. In regard to the retail meat trade in many parts of Great Britain, the report states that buying rings are more common than witnesses suggested. It says the amalgamation of shops in the hands of the Union Cold Storage Company has tended to diminish competition, also the competition of co-operative societies is not so effective as might bo in keeping down the prices. According to the evidence, imported meat is frequently sold as home-killed meat. Misdescription also is common in the case of different grades of imported meat. Home production has declined, especially in mutton and lamb, while the imported beef supplies have increased. The report points out that the regulation of shipments is necessary to avoid waste, but this is open to possible abuse. It says that no evidence was presented to support the suggestion that the international wheat trade is controlled by a small number of firms exploiting the needs of the consumers.—Reuter.

PERMANENT COUNCIL SUGGESTED.

STATE TRADING NOT FAVOURED.

LONDON, May 8. The Food Commission’s majority report recommends the establishment of a permanent Food Council to maintain continuing supervision over the staple food trades. “Wo have in view,” it says, “the formation of a body combining representatives of the economic, financial, administrative, and consuming interests to act as a mediator between the producer, the trader, and the consumer, and reconciling for a common end interests which we do not regard as necessarily conflicting. ” The Commission expresses the opinion that the Government may find it desirable to discuss -with the dominions the possibility of encouraging the flow of food from the dominions to the home markets. The report recommends that the cold storage proprietors should bo required to furnish statistics in connection with stocks of meat held by them. The Food Council should closely watch developments in the importation of meat from Argentina, since it may be necessary for the Government to intervene by acquiring a controlling interest in the British companies operating in Argentina, or in some other way, if the supply of filled frozen meat should be dominated by adverse trading combinations. _ The Commission does not recommend State trading in wheat or in meat.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE MINORITY REPORTS. LONDON, May 8. Mr Rvland's minority report objects to the establishment of a Food Council as a definite advance in the direction of State Socialism, imposing a heavy burden on the taxpayer, and entailing serious risk of increasing the cost of the people’s food. Mr Smith’s minority report recommends the Government to .assume open responsibility for supplies and prices of food. He advocates the centralisation of the import of wheat and flour in the hands of a statutory import board acting on behalf of the whole community, and a similar centralisation for meat, and the carrying out of the recommendations of the Bridgeman and MacCrosty Committees in regard to the public acquisition of freezing works in South Africa by Great Britain. The milling industry, he considers, should be formed into a statutory corporation, in which the present mill-owners would hold debentures, the Government holding a majority of the ordinary shares. The local authorities should bo empowered to open municipal bread and meat shops and roquire the licensing of retailers in their areas.—Reuter.

NEW ZEALAND MEAT IMPORTERS’ VIEWS.

PUBLICATION OF STATISTICS.

LONDON, May 8. New Zealand meat importers generally regard the Food Commission’s report as fair. They find no objection to the recommendation with regard to the publication of cold storage statistics, though some think that the publication of the figures may lead to speculation, as in the case of other . commodities, whose statistics have been published, notably rubber. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

MR lORSYTH DEFERS COMMENT. LONDON, May 8. Mr R. S. Forsyth, London manager of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, defers his comment on the Food Commission’s report till he has digested the evidence ; but he thinks the report broadly gives cause for satisfaction as far as New Zealand is concerned.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

CABINET CONSIDERS REPORT ON WEDNESDAY.

RECOMMENDATION TO OPERATE SHORTLY.

LONDON, May 8. The Daily Telegraph’s lobbyist says that Cabinet will consider the Food Commission’s report on Wednesday._ As the Food Council proposal harmonises with the views of the Board-of Trade, there is every reason to believe that effect will be given to the commission’s recommendations, probably in the autumn. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

PROFITS OF MEAT. LONDON, May 8. (Received May 10, at 5.5 p.m.) The Food Commission report states: "During 1924 some retail butchers made excessive profits, but the evidence points to the conclusion that a reduction of a penny per pound on all, beef and mutton sold in tho butchers’ shops would at the present time extinguish the profits in all but a few exceptional cases. We do not complain at tho butchers making a halfpenny per pound net profit on meat sold under its proper description, but the hood Council’s attention should be specially directed to the practice of substitution and of false description in the sale of meat to isolated cases of gross profiteering and possible abuses that may arise in tho system regulating imported supplies. Returns obtained from a number of import wheat firms show a small but adequate margin of profit for good year’s and a loss in bad years, while it is true that the number of firms handling wheat has gradually diminished since 1900 all tho evidence received points to the existence of teen and unrestricted aorapetition between the firms. —A. and N.Z. Cable.