THE MEAT TRUSTS

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 13

THE MEAT TRUSTS

SURPLUS NEW ZEALAND MEAT. NOMINATION SYSTEM OBJECTED TO. The following resolutions, which were passed at a public meeting of farmers, convened under the auspices of the Poverty Bay Sub-provincial Union, have been forwarded to each of the various branches of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, with a request for the support of the respective branches:— " This public meeting of farmers desires : "(a) To record its appreciation and approval qf Lord Rhondda's decision to discontinue the system of nomination for the surplus New Zealand meat, as this system unquestionably creates a monopoly and mainly benefits such firms as wor<k in conjunction •with meat trusts. "(b) This meeting also desires to record its strong disapproval of the meat agents' action in inducing the authorities to continue the nomination system, and would respectfully request that the Government of New Zealand should take such action as is neoessary to represent the views of the New Zealand farmers in this respect to the Home authorities, as a Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, as weU as public meetings of farmers in various parts of tho dominion have expressed disapproval of the nomination system, recommending that a committee or individual answerable only to tho Imperial Government, and in no way associated with any firm or company engaged in the buying and selling of meat, should be appointed to control the handling of the surplus meat in England. The New Zealand Parliamentary Committee's report also disapproves of the past system, of distributing meat in England, and recommends that the Government, in conjunction with the Imperial Government, should forthwith consider a better scheme for tho distribution in Britain. "(c) This meeting also desires to emphatically protest against Mr Boys, of London, representing tho New Zealand Refrigerating Company which owns some six freezing works in this dominion; Mr Cooper, of Sims, Cooper, and Co., one of the largest individual meat buying firms in New Zealand; together wtih tho Advisory Committee, comprising Messrs Cohn (Morris Beef Co.); Archer (representing lato Sulzberger and Co., now Wilson and Co,, meat operators in Argentine and America); Goodsir (representing Weddcl and Co.), Twipg, Bonsor, and Leuw, upon the ground that all these parties aro representatives of firms who are largo operators in tho buying and eelling of meat, and therefore it is inadvisable and unfair to allow them to control the marketing of any surplus meat. "This meeting would respectfully suggest that an individual or committee who is in no way associated with tho buying and selling of meat should bo immediately appointed -to control the disposal of any surplus meat in Englar.d.

"(d) This meeting also desires to specially request the Now Zealand Government to expedite tho issuing of tho necessary Gazette regulations making provision to safeguard all the recommendations made by the New Zealand Parliamentary Committee's report on the dangers of the meat and shipping questions, approved of by Parliament. This is essential in the interests ot the producers of New Zealand, the consumers in England, and the prosperity of this dominion as a whole "(o) This meeting desires to again protest to the authorities against the Shipowners' Committee continuing to control tho apportionment of the shipping space of this dominion, as It is advisable that it should be in the hands of a person or committee answerable to the New Zealand Government and the Imperial authorities who aro in no way interested in shipping. " (f) That copies of these resolutions be sent to the Prime Minister in New Zealand and! all the Cabinet Ministers, also to Mr Lloyd George, Prime Minister of England, and Lord Rhondda, Food Controller of England, as well as to all the executives of the New Zealand Farmers Union throughout New Zealand, asking for thoir co-operation and assistance in these various urgent and important matters which really affect the true prosperity and success of the British Empire and its allies at this oritical juncture."