THE AMERICAN MEAT TRUST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 13

THE AMERICAN MEAT TRUST.

DEAL WITH THE FOOD MINISTRY. LONDON, May 15 (delayed). In the House of Commons Sir Newton Moore suggested that' the Food Ministry was selling the dominion's meat, costing lOd, at 13d per lb wholesale, in order to even up the average to the price paid for American meat, which had been badly bought. He asked if the Dominion Governments had protested? Mr G. H. Roberts (Food Minister) replied that he had received inquiries from the Dominion Governments that the meat had to be sold at a flat rate, and the cost of all meat purchased by the Ministry averaged. Most of the imported meat came from America, where the average price was considerably higher than in tne dominions. OPERATIONS IN NEW ZEALAND. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT PROMISED. WELLINGTON, May 27. Last session Parliament passed legisla.tion with the intention of controlling the operations of the Meat Trust in New Zealand. The Minister of Agriculture stated to-day that very careful inquiries had been made, and he would shortly be able to make a general statement on the whole position. Only one application for a license had been refused. DISCUSSION BY FARMERS' UNION. GOVERNMENT ACTION URGED. WELLINGTON, May 27. The operations of the Meat Trust were disoussed at the Wellington Farmers' Conference to-day. Mr T. Benton (Featherston) moved—- " That the Government be requested to take further steps to. prevent the Meat Trust from operating in this dominion." He stressed the danger of allowing the trust to secure a firm footing in New Zealand. Mr. Hugh Morrison, in seconding the motion, said they wore now called upon to fight an autocratic commercial combine. If the trust were giving high prices for stock now, it 'was only a move to secure control, and later, it would pay what it liked, and not what the farmer wanted. Mr C C. Jackson said "the trust was already operating in New Zealand. Other speakers agreed that the only remedy was co-operation. The President (Mr G. L. Marshall) outlined the recent legislation placed on the Statute Book with the object of controlling the trust by giving the Minister discretion in the granting of export licenses to freezing companies. Were those means sufficient? He thought it was unsatisfactory that full and absolute powiar was given to ono Minister, and control at the other end was essential. At Mr W. J. Birch's suggestion the motion was amended to read —"That the Government be requested to take all possible steps to prevent the Meat Trust from operating in this dominion and in the distribution of dominion products in Great Britain."

The motion as amended was agreed to. TJh/3 conference also adopted the folio-w----ing motion by Mr C. C Read (Carterton): "That the Government be requested to publish the names of representatives of the Moafc Trust, also tha names under which the Meat Trust ia operating in New Zealand." A motion from Featherston was also agreed to. It reads: —"That with a view to preventing tho agents of the Meat Trust from operating in dairy produce in this dominion, the conference urge the National Dairy Association to advise all dairy companies to consign their produce to tb&Home markets, and to arrange for their own means of distribution there." It was stated that the National Dairy Association had already taken up ths matter.