MEAT DISTRIBUTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27570, 12 December 1950, Page 6

MEAT DISTRIBUTION

New Zealand Companies’ Proposals SMITHFIELD CAUTIOUS NZPA Special Correspondent Rec. 7 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 11. “It sounds all right on paper, but it may be difficult to work out.” This was the comment of a representative of a meat importing firm on the proposal that the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board and five freezing companies in the Dominion should form a partnership to take over Towers, Ltd., in London for the distribution of New Zealand meat. This cautious note appears typical of Smithfield reactions, but one comment made in New Zealand has caused concern: that since 1939 most of the smaller distributing firms in Britain have been inactive. This point has been taken up by the New Zealand and Australian Agents’ Association in a letter to Wellington. The association pointed out that the staffs of both small and large distributing firms have been assisting the Ministry of Food organisation during the past 11 years, otherwise the .Ministry’s meat department could not have functioned. If meat was decontrolled all the firms would be in a position to handla meat imports and distribution again as they did before the war.