FOOD STORAGE SHIPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27266, 17 December 1949, Page 8

FOOD STORAGE SHIPS

USE CONSIDERED NECESSARY BUILDING UP STOCKS OF IMPORTED MEAT NZPA Special Correspondent LONDON, Dec. 15. Commenting on the protest by Mr H. Barnes, president of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, at the hold-up of food ships in Britain for use as storage vessels, the Ministry of Food has denied that the use of refrigerated ships for storing meat in any way affected the shipment programme between Britain and New Zealand or anywhere else. Further questions on the subject have been asked in the House of Commons, Mr Cyril Osborne (Conservative, Lincoln and Rutland), receiving no reply from Dr Edith Summerskill, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, to his inquiry, “ what is the total tonnage of the 13 ocean liners being used as floating refrigerators, what is the cost of maintaining them, how long have they been kept like it, and why is this extravagant, costly, crazy policy proceeding?, declared he would take any opportunity he found to raise the matter on adjournment. In a written reply to Mr F. J. Erroll (Conservative, Altringham and Sale), who referred to “ public disquiet ” on the present policy of storing meat, Dr Summerskill stated: “ Home-produced meat reaches its maximum supply in the autumn and is scarce in the first six months of the year. It is necessary, therefore, to plan to build up a stock of imported meat in cold stores towards the end of the year. The temporary use of additional storage in refrigerated ships became necessary this year because supplies of meat had been heavier than expected. Storage conditions are satisfactory, and no deterioration of meat is likely.” Dr Summerskill made no reply to a supplementary question by Mr A. E. Baldwin (Conservative, Hereford), when he inquired whether the Ministry imported tough Argentine meat “in order to impress on .the British public that they were literally eating Argentine rails."