MEAT RESTRICTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22546, 13 April 1935, Page 9

MEAT RESTRICTIONS

APPLICATION OF LEVY OPPOSED BY FREEZING COMPANIES (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, April 12. New Zealand owned freezing companies operating in the South Island have sent the following telegram to Mr Coates: "At a meeting held yesterday of the undersigned companies representative of all New Zealand owned freezing companies in the South Island the following resolution was unanimously adopted for transmission to yourself. "That this meeting of New Zealand owned freezing companies representing thousands of shareholders and- producers strongly urges upon the Government the importance of resisting any attempt to introduce the application of a levy on New Zealand' meat imported into the United Kingdom. We are convinced that the regulation of imports as agreed at the Ottawa Conference has been of the utmost value to New Zealand producers in protecting them against the unlimited expansion of imports from other competing companies, and the disastrous fall in prices which would have resulted. The improved prices which have ruled for mutton and lamb since the restrictions imposed under the Ottawa agreement are the best evidence of the benefit which has accrued to New Zealand. We are convinced that the abandonment of the regulation of imports in favour of a levy will result in the English market being flooded with supplies, in other words becoming the dumping ground for the world's exportable surplus, with the resulting collapse in prices, the effect of which would be testified by the introduction of the levy for the reason that in the long run the cost of the levy would fall upon the producers'."