Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JAN, 24, 1910. FROZEN MEAT CONFERENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12654, 24 January 1910, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JAN, 24, 1910. FROZEN MEAT CONFERENCE.

The Conference to be held at Cliristjhurch. this week to consider the pressing problem of the frozen meat trade — the need for co-operation aVnongst exporters — is one materially affecting the interests of the whole of our pastoralists and incidentally it will beui- considerable influence upon the general commercial interests of the Dominion. As was urged, m these columns a few weeks ago there are people m England making morfe money out of New Zealand meat than comes back to the growers of the produce exported tp London. New Zealand meat suffers from the keen rivalry of the South American trade which is now largely m the hands of the American Beef Trust, whose organisation is exceptionally thorough and is calculated to crush out competition. It suffers further from tlie avariciousness of a ring of meat salesmen at Smithfield, who by various devices manipulate the market to theiy own ends. 'Strong concerted effort and a vigorous. campaign are needful to give New Zealand exporters a square, deal m the British market, and it,. is sincerely; to be hoped that the Government, the" freezing companies; and all others interested m the trade may be able to tind .some basis of agreement for common action. It will be a big fight, for there, is unlimited capital behind the American Trust and the Smithfield men, and the latter have, established strong branches m the provinces, but unless something is done, New Zealand will assuredly have to suffer dictation as to prices and be unable to command a fair value for meat. Mr G. X.. M. Cunningham, a former manager of the Wellington Meat Export Company, who has recently returned from Britain has been advocating concentration of effort for, the past twelve years, and a. recent vis^it to Smithfield strongly confirms him m the opinion that it is imperative the New Zealand exporters .should co-operate. Speaking of his observations of the operations ■of the ring at •Nnjithfield a. few months ago, he said the New Zealand companies were bled to; the last degree. For instance, one big company, with unlimited capital at its; back, which has now actually extended its interests to New Zealand, had recognised that there was a possibility of the New Zealand concerns establishing cool chambers m (he provincial centres, ami promptly stepped m beforehand. They thus secured the market m the main centres. Shops were, established /ill overt the country, and many others bought up, meaning, of course, that these establishments were supplied solely by this huge concern. Now, as already stated, they had invaded New Zealand, and any awakening nUlst come to the freezing companies of tlie Dominion some time- At, ; Home they can practically fix the market as 1 they choose. Prices can be brought do\vn with a rush, everything available bought up, and then the market rushed up again. ■ They reap the profits, and the freezing companies stand the losses. There is another matter : An allowance which is termed "freezing weight" is talien off the weight of the carcase at this end, biit the London ring deducts 21b and the odd ounces off every carcaie — 1,500,000 carcases would mean 3,000,0001 b, and with the , price per carcase at as low as 3d per lb, New Zealand is robbed by the meat ring of £37,500. Regarding /the future, Mr Cunningham Ls inclined to be pessimistic, for the reason that New Zealanders are so slow to grapple with the situa-! tion. First, there was the warning given m 'regard to the methods m operation on the London market. That wa)s unheeded here. Then the same -warning.' note was sounded m regard to the provincial centres, Tliat was unheeded also. The meat ring had netted, both, and now New Zealaind , was confronted with an invasion of 'its "own ihoriie preserves by the very same ring against which it had been so repeatedly but fruitlessly, warned* The conference at Christchurch will have* a' s'trbng lead from the Minister of Agriculture, who is to preside over its deliberations, and who has seen for himself the evils complained of, and we liave good reason to believe that the Government will forward m every "mariner possible any movement that it may be decided upon to take up.