The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1916. HIGHER MEAT PRICES.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 205, 5 October 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1916. HIGHER MEAT PRICES.

(With which is incorporated The Taihap« Post and Waimarino News.) .

A private individual lias received some intimation from England that leads him to believe that prices for our moat for the coming season will be a considerable advance on what farmers in this country received last year, and ( he has been good enough to have it telegraphed to every newspaper in the Dominion. The fact that the information was handed to the Press Association fon distribution by such a responsible settler gives it almost the value of a notification of something that has already been decided upon,, but many growers, who are not permitted to be

in the know, will attach very little importance to the news until it reaches them through an official source. Some are already inquiring as to its likelihood of truth, which is evidence of want of confidence in the methods that are and have been, adopted for the taking and disposal of their meat. It would indeed be interesting to know from whom the information came that is being regarded with so much importance and accepted with more than usual credence; whether from a Governmental source, from New Zealand's Home representative, or from those who have been responsible for the indignities and loss our producers have suffered for> the past year or two. It may be said, what matters so long as the prices are on an ccpuility with those for meat from other countries. It makes all the difference in the world to men of honour; what they are contending for is the removal of a dastardly wrong and the institution of what is right; there must be no ele-

mont of might is right in inter-Empire trade any more than there is in international relationships. Ths country has been suffering a , wrong, and there should be no further indignity, by any "cap in hand" business to have it put right. New Zealanders are doing thier duty like men, crushing the might is right doctrine of Prussianism, and our producers have right on their side in demanding far play for their produce from the British or any other Government. They want no intervention from the American Meat Trust, who are beginning to find things rather too hot for them in the exploitations which have turned probably a million of money frOm flowing its rightful course into New Zealand pockets. The news of better prices should have come to New Zealand through an official source, and until it does so come it will carry a whiff of Meat Trust methods with it. It will be regarded as a feeler thrown out to see how little additional New Zealand producers can be put off with, and by far the greater number of producers who are not in the "swim,." will be quite justified in so regarding it, and be on the alert for the next feeler that may fall on them and bold them down while they are being sucked to almost as detrimental an extent as heretofore. From Sir Thomas Mackenzie's explanation, commented on in these columns some days ago it seems very evident that it will be the methods of inflicting the wrong rather than the wrong itself that some powers in Britain want to see altered unless the farmers and freezing companies of this country stand firm in demanding and obtaining their rights, and the elimination of every vestige of Meat Trust influence in their meat handling. Some time ago we predicted that no change for rectifying the wrongs New Zealand meat was being subjected to would take place until two politicians arrived on the scene, so that they might claim kudos for obtaining that which it has been nothing short, of dishonest to withhold. In a matter of this kind there should be no toleration of wire-pulling, forthta would be endeavouring to fight the Trust with Trust methods —a course that would be foredoomed to failure. New Zealand farmers have every right to insist that their produce shall not remain at any disadvantage in its marketing. It really amazes every sane and thoughtful person that the Home authorities should have permitted an injustice to New Zealand to have been insinuated into any arrangement in the first place, but it is simply astounding that they should have allowed it to continue for so long after it became obvious. New Zealand producers have proved their patriotism to an extreme; they want no marketing advantage over other peoples; surely the Homo authorities should see that they are placed at no disadvantage. 'As an old English butcher, Mr. S. S. Timbs, of Taihape, pointed out in our columns yesterday,! all marks from New Zealand meat are removed, and it has been sold as Argentine. Why? Of course, the Meat Trust is soiling highquality New- Zealand as Argentine purely to get their inferior stuff on the market, in other words they are using war conditions to push New Zealand meat off the market and replace it with their controlled Argentine. If our farmers and free freezing companies will not realise the full danger of the position they will ever after regret it. Now is the time to press home the demand for fair play in marketing their meat; any weakness or temporising will spell disaster, for whatever arrangements are made they will be accompanied with conditions, it is these contions we must watch carefully. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Ths morning's mail lias brought us the fourth letter for publication on a subject which largely concerns ourselves and as our business is in each instance so closely interwoven with other matters, we could not apply the blue pencil without destroying the whole fabric. Therefore, hitherto we have privately asked our correspondents to withdraw their desire to have their views published. The facts are being mentioned, because Ave want our frineds to leave -us to our own troubles, if we have any. From what is said it is evident some are inclined to regard as trouble what is only casual and amusing to us. We thank, most sincerely, our friends for their praise and kind inI tercst, but they may safely leave us to ! fight our battles, should we have any, I with any firm or syndicate of firms [ that, in their greed, and boast of what they will do, seek to injure the Times in its capacity as a newspaper. If obloquy falls on anyone our friends may rest assured that it will be our enemies and not ourselves that will feel sorry. We are quite able to take care of ourselves, and we are now merely taking this opportunity to ask those who arc inclined to send along further expressed solicitude for publication in our wel fare to desist and just leave us to our own resources. No settler shall suffer from combine methods if we can help it, and we can help it in this case.