EMBARGO ON EGGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19531, 14 July 1925, Page 8

EMBARGO ON EGGS.

SUPPLIES FOR THE LOCAL MARKET. NEED FOR CAUTION. (F.rom Our Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, July 15. An interesting discussion took place at the annual meeting of the Otago Egg Circle in Oamaru last week in reference to the export of eggs to England. It is understood that space has been booked by the delegate to the conference, Mr James Hutton (Waianakarua), for 20,000 dozen eggs. Mr Fraser, the selling agent for the circle, stated that there was a serious shortage of eggs. He had never seen the pastrycooks in Dundin as short as at present. Ho was very doubtful if it were advisable to export eggs this year. The demand that would bo made on the circle during the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition would take »hom ail their time to fill. Mr D. Y. Gibson slated that the exporting of eggs was a good thing, but local requirements must bo given preference. The pastrycooks were the best friends of the circle, and it was their duty to fill their orders at a reasonable figure. If this season’s eggs were exported there was bound to be a shortage, and the pastorycooks, finding their requirements could not be fulfilled, would appeal to the Government as thev had already done on one occasion. The result would he that the Government, keeping faith with the promises made the pastrycooks, would lift the embargo on the Asiatic pulp, and the egg Industry in Otago would be crippled. In the discussion which ensued, it was stated that the Government had assured the Otago Egg Circle that it would hold the Asiatic pulp back as long as they were able to fill the demands of the pastrycooks. As soon as they failed to do this, the Government would life the embargo on the foreign pulp. The egg moducers were demanding a reasonably high nrice, but if this price were to be kept bigb the pastrycooks would be induced to import, pulp from outside. It would be a serious blow to the circle if they found that, after' exporting, thev were unable to meet the local demands, and the market was swamped with Japanese puln. It, would mean the ruination of the small poultry farmer, who was endeavouring to make ends meet. It was freely stated at the meeting that' unless the suppliers were assured of at least Is 6d a dozen, a largo number of the small men, including some returned soldiers, would be obliged to “pull out.” and it was upon these men that tho circle depended for its supplies.