Forty Organisations To Give Evidence on Fresh Meat Supplies

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26772, 15 May 1948, Page 6

Forty Organisations To Give Evidence on Fresh Meat Supplies

Special Correspondent

WELLINGTON, May 14.

June 15, 16 and 17 are the dates for the Dunedin sitting of the > Fresh Meat Supplies Inquiry Commission, which will inquire into and report on the availability of fresh meat on the retail markets.

The commission will open its sittings in Wellington next week and will go to Auckland for sittings on May 20, 21. 22 and 24. returning to Wellington for further sittings on May 27 and 28. The commission will sit in Christchurch on June 9, 10 and 11, Dunedin on June 15, 16 and 17, and will come back to Wellington to take final evidence here on June 22, 23, 24 and 25. About 40 organisations have advised the commission of their intention to give evidence. Among them are the New Zealand Master Butchers’ Association, the New Zealand Stock and Station Agents’ Association, Federated Farmers, and the Municipal Association. If the commission finds that there are insufficient supplies on the retail market ir. any centre at any time of the year it will report on steps which

should be taken to make additional supplies available. If this is thought impossible it will report on the possible supply of chilled or frozen meat. The price paid by butchers for meat for local consumption in relation to the export schedule price will also be investigated. The commission will report on whether, in the event of the auction system of buying being continued, it is desirable to encourage the practice of group buying by butchers. The chairman of the commission will be Mr A. A. McLachlan, S.M., and the members Messrs A. P. O’Shea, general secretary of Federated Farmers, J. W. Perry, president of the New Zealand Master Butchers’ Association, W. G. Simpson, Labour Department, R. B. Tennent, Assistant Director-general of the Department of Agriculture, and L. C. Webb, Director of Marketing.