PRICES OF MEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19845, 19 July 1926, Page 8

PRICES OF MEAT

CHARGE AGAIN ST AMERICAN COMPANIES. AN INVESTIGATION OPENED. (Pre»» Association —Bj Telegraph—Copyright.) WASHINGTON, July 15 A preliminary investigation has begun to determine -whether meat prices are I eing increased in the United ocates to enable American packers to undersell their .British rivals abroad. The Department of Agriculture has taken cognisance of the British packers’ charge that American consumers are paying the expenses of the international price war. The department’s officials have declared agents in the field who will make a preliminary investigation, after which the major investigation will be launched if the evidence warrants it. The American packers deny the chargee. The Agricultural Department so far has received no reports of a price war affecting the home market. Other Government economic authorities state that the contest between American and British firms is centralised in the Argentine. Mr H. C. Hoover (Secretary of Commerce) admits that there is a contest, but he believes it has not affected the United States domestic trade or prices.—A. and JM.Z. Cable.