MEAT IN COOL STORES

Southland Times, Issue 24684, 4 March 1942, Page 4

MEAT IN COOL STORES

Proposed Free Ration To Pensioners (Special) DUNEDIN, March 3. A suggestion that persons on pensions and other benefits should be given free rations of meat and butter in order to increase consumption and so reduce the amount of these commodities held in cool store was made by Mr R. S. Thompson at a meeting of the Otago Provincial Council of the Farmers Union. Mr Thompson considered that such a scheme would benefit the health of the community generally and would assist in easing the position in the cool stores, where the surplus of meat and butter was growing. . “It is estimated,” Mr Thompson said, “that on Otcober 1 next there will be 135,000 tons of meat in cool store, an increase of 54 per cent, over the total at the same time last year. The estimate of stored butter is 43,000 tons, an increase of 140 per cent. Since that estimate was made the shipping position has deteriorated very much indeed ana those surpluses will probably be increased. There seems no chance of getting all that meat and butter out of the country, and the position will be worse next year. According to information from Great Britain we have to expect a long war, and if these surpluses are going to accumulate each year, where are we going to end? The position cannot be met by increased storage capacity because meat and butter will deteriorate in quality and will eventually be unfit for human consumption.” The president, Mr D. H. Cockbum, said the Meat Board had for two years been looking ahead to this difficulty and had been making plans for meeting such a situation. A fund was being built up from the proceeds of meat receipts and it would reach £1,900,000 by the end of the season. Mr William Lee said that if some free meat were given to certain people it would mean that they would buy less from the butcher and that might readily have an adverse effect oh the stock market.

Mr Thompson admitted that the scheme would be no good unless there was an increase in the consumption of meat. It was decided to set up a subcommittee of three to consider the proposal and report.