ARMOURS'

Otago Witness, Issue 3467, 24 August 1920, Page 12

ARMOURS'

MEAT AND SHIPPING TRUSTS. WANGANUI, August 20.

Mr W. J. Poison, president of the Wellington Provincial Branch of the farmers' Union, addressing the local branch in reference to a meat export license to Messrs Armour and Co., saidt "'We are all agreed, whether we belong to the Farmers' Union, the Bheep-farmers' Federation, or any other body of farmers, about the trust's malign influence. All this rodomontade by Armours agents in New Zealand wdl not relievo them from the decision of the United States Federal Commission, who in effect found that the power of the five chief packing companies has been unfairly and illegally used to manipulate the live stock market and to restrict interstate and international supplios of goods, to control the price of dressed meats and other foods, to defraud both producers and food consumers, to crush effective competition, and to secure special privileges from railroad and dockyard companies and municipalities. How are we preparing to fight a trust which owns 90 per cent, of the means of distributing meat in America ? By saying: 'We will allow you to handle as much of cur meat as you like in Great Britain, where your multiple shops are already bidding fair to constitute a monopoly. We will allow you to handle as much as you like in America, where you practically control the market. We will allow you to purchase as much as you like in New Zealand, provided you buy it not from the farmer, but from the middleman, and allow him to make a profit.' American buyers have told us repeatedly that they could have offered the farmer more than he was getting for his meat, but that they knew if they did so certain freezing companies would refuse to give lhera space. It seems to me that if we provide proper restrictions we are justified, under the present oonditions, in taking advantage of any American offer. The position is that our stores are piled with meat. We want to get rid of it at the earliest possible moment, and the stores at the English end are also full. America, in my opinion, is a great and growing market for our produce, both meat anal butter She must in future, because of its comparative proximity to New Zealand, be one of our best markets. We want to develop overy market we can. In any case, we are casting about for relief that will help to clear our stores before next season. Moreover, the Farmers' Union is unitedly demanding a- tree market and a right to untrammeTlid and unrestricted trade. Why, then, not be logical and trade with the best customers ? We have, always providing that we do not give them any opportunity to injure us. Wo can control any foreign concerns operating in this country. The Government has the power to refuse or to revoke iicenses at any time. If Armours are allowed to export for 12 months—and when I say export I mean export only—it can do no harm, and it will certainly help to relievo the congestion. We must not forget that they can, and will, handle meat anyhow, and that our chief danger from the trust lies not here, but at the other end. Nowadays, with the United States's eye upon them, the meat trusts' operations are more restricted than they have been in the past. Personally, with our restrictions, I do not fear the trust in New Zealand as much as a much greater trust—the Shipping Trust,—who has us in its grip, and bids fair to squeeze us dry. Admittedly trusts and combines are bad, and the Meat Trust is one of the worst; but the Meat Trust may be made temporarily useful as a means of relief without any "injury to the producer. By thoso means let us give Armours a licenso to export for 12 months, which is the usual term of license, but not a license to kill, and let us restrict the license to the United States of America. With thoso safeguards neither Armour and Co. nor any other American concern can be other than useful."

A large meeting- of farmers of Southern Hawke's Bay was addressed by Mr W. D. Lysnar, M.P., on Saturday. The meeting carried tho following resolution, with one dissentient (says a Dannevirke Press Association telegram):—" That in the opinion of this representative meeting of farmers it is essential in the interest of tho sane progress and development of the dominion that the Government should take the necessary steps to stop the Armour Cormviny and Vestes 7 Bros., or any of their subsidiary companies, from operating in tho dominion in any manner in connection with

the freezing industries, and the- export of meat." The resolution. i s to be forwarded immediately to the Prime Minister.