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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12010, 11 March 1920, Page 6

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It having been .decided by the president of the Board of Agriculture, , with the approval of the Prime Minister, to call a conference of delegates representing the producers and allied interests, to be held in Wellington shortly, a meeting of delegates from the various branches of the Farmers’ Union in the Wellington Province was held in Palmerston - North on Tuesday. There was a large attendance of delegates from Maxwelltown, Westmere, Brunswick, Rangiwahia, Mangahu, Feilding, Manakau, Wanr ganui, Rongotea, Wairarapa, Waverley, Levin, Paraparanmn, Ash hurst, and Palmerston North, while the executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was represented by Messrs T Moss, H Booth, J A MoLeavey, J Balsillie and.W B Mathe. son. Mr Heberton, representing Wairarapa, was also present. Mr G L Marshall, president of the Wellington Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union, presided, and said that the business of the meeting was to elect delegates to represent the Farmers’ Union and the Sheepowners’ Federation at the conference. It had been suggested that Wairarapa and .the other side of the range should be allowed to appoint their own delegates, as it was inconvenient ror them to come to Palmerston. He thought this was a reasonable request and on his suggestion the meeting agreed to it. THE COMMANDEER. The chairman said he was more than ever convinced that the practice of fixing prices for primary produce was not in the best interests of the producer, nor had it had the desired effect of protecting the consuming public from unduly high prices. It undermined the whole system of trading, by eliminating the spirit of competition, which was the soul of trade, and the price given to the primary producer was less in proportion to the price paid by the public for the manufactured article than under the ordinary system of free markets. He regretted to see that the Government had decided to continue price fixing in connection with our products, and it looked as if they were going to have prices of everything fixed. This would prevent them from going on to the open market. In the case of meat on the Home market, it would be better for the Imperial authorities to keep control and continue the commandeer until such time as the trade got back to normal. By raising the price of New Zealand meat to the cost of foreign meat brought in for war purposes at a critical time, the market for New Zealand meat had become for the present restricted, and the next season’s meat would fall on a glutted market. It would be better if the commandeer could he continued until the meat taken under that method had been worked off. Mr A Buchanan said that the American. Meat Trust was getting meat straight on to the London market, while the New Zealand product was being held up until it deteriorated. The commandeer should be lifted, and he was satisfied we would do much better on the open market by placing our business in the hands of the firms who had handled it before the war. Mr W B Matheson, Eketahuna, said it was not until the war broke outthat the hold which the American Meat Trust bad on the trade was realised. The Americans had got their foot in, and were up against us as well as the Home Government. This should be a warning to ns to keep the Trust out of tbo Dominion, and to keep away from foreign money, otherwise they might find themselves in the position of dealing with a country’s money which would not deal with them.

Mr J A McLeavey strongly opposed the continuation of the commandeer. He maintained that the Home Government was making money out of the Dominion’s meat, and their hold should be shaken off at the earliest possible moment. Mr Campbell, Feilding, expressed the opinion that it they did not get an extension of the commandeer until the stores were clear, it would be a bad thing for the Dominion. Mi* Hodges, Wanganui, asked, if they got a free .market, how were they going to get the ships? If the commandeer of meat and produce was continued for another year it would give the Dominion a chance of starting on a fiee market on empty stores.

Mr H Booth asked what would hapjjen if the commandeer was lifted now. The Dominion would be in a worse position than ever if it were not continued till the stores were cleared.

A delegate expressed the opinion that the Imperial Government had never treated New Zealand fairly. If they wanted our meat they should clear our stores.

Mr A Buchanan asked how was it possible for the Imperial Government to clear the stores when the American Meat Trust were filling them up as fast as our meat was taken away. If the commandeer were extended for another year the stores would still be full of meat which had been there for a long time.

Mr R Farley, Westmere, and Mr Duncan, £ said their Continued on page 7.