N.Z. MEAT AT HOME

Southland Times, Issue 17970, 10 March 1917, Page 6

N.Z. MEAT AT HOME

To the Editor, Sir, —In your leader of this morning you again draw attention to the distribution of New Zealand meat in Britain, for which I think the thanks of the farming community are due to you. As you say the producers of New Zealand are quite prepared, and always have been, to sell the meat to the Imperial Government at a price below the equivalent market value in Britain, provided the meat is used to provide food for army purposes, or even if the consuming public of Great Britain could buy our produce at a fair margin of profit on what we receive for It. But, Sir. in the Times of to-day New Zealand mutton Is quoted at 87/8, Argentine TSi/4, New Zealand ewe mutton 81/2, Argentine IW/4. Now T take it What the New Zealand producer wants to know is why this difference, and who gets the profit between the two prices? All we know is these are the prices given by the wholesale buyer, and In the case of New Zealand meat we are told he has to pass it on to the retailer at a reasonable profit. The retailer, we presume, in some cases at least will buy both New Zealand and Argentine. Does the consumer get New Zealand meat any cheaper than the Argentine The farmers of New Zealand have fought for and maintained the premier position on the London market too lomg to ever think that, and I maintain It is an Injustice to the New Zealand farmer and the New Zealand meat trade that our meat should be quoted at a lower price than Argentine, especially if the consumers have to pay the high price we are told on good authority, they have. Only the other day we were told by a gentleman just out from Britain that the shops were charging 1/4 for mutton and up to 1/8 for steak. The only conclusion we can come to is that the speculator and exploiter •is reaping a big profit that should eltJier go to the producer here or the consumer at home. In the case of lamb the position is even worse than mutton, as we have always been told that the Imperial Government use no lamb for army purposes. Now the only conclusion we can coroe to is that there is a big profit being made out of the whole of the New Zealand lamb. 'Why, if toe Imperial Government does not want our lamb, do they commandeer It? We are told that we should never get space or freight to take It away if it was not commandeered, but surely there could be found a way to ship It for the producer here as well as for the speculator in London, as is done at present. Sir, there is a lot of talk at the present time of the profits made by the farmer. We will grant there are some extra profits but everyone knows that there is to be an enormous amount of extra, taxation to bear through the war, and that the farmers will have to pay a very big share of it. Therefore all the money that can fairly be brought into New Zealand should be, to help to pay the extra taxation. Again I repeat the farmer in almost all cases is willing to sacrifice and pay as well as any other portion of the community, but we want a fair deal. Even when the agitation was on before about the prices of our meat It was not for a rise in price, but that we should not be giving cheap meat for the speculator to work on. The Premier Mr Massey, and Sir Joseph Ward, are now at Home, and should be able to give some explanation of the situation when they return, but it seems to me if farmers would write and look after their own interests the same as any other class of the community do, we should at least be able to say that if we made a sacrifice, or If we sell our produce at a Cheaper rate, it should go to help the heavily burdened people of Britain, who are bearing so much, instead of higher profits going to men who do nothing for it.—l am, etc., WM. A. COX. Kauana, 6th March.