WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1916, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MEAT TRUSTS. * ('Prom Our Own Correspondent)'. Wellington, October 16. How the "American buyers now opcr;i4ing in the local meat market are able to pay prices that leave no margin upon the rates at which their purchases will pass to the. Imperial Government still remains a mystery, but people are talking freely of meat trusts as a menace to the future welfare of the New Zealand farmer. A gentleman lately returned from ' : the greatest country on earth'' has been giving the Dominion an account of his personal experiences there, and they certainly are alarming enough. "I am quite sure from what I saw and heard myself," he says "that the farmers will have reason to be very sorry indeed if the American trusts get a secure footing in this country. The Americans, who are stated to be active here already, will pay high prices as long as it is necessary for them to do so in order to get a grip of the market; but when, they have taken hold firmly they will penalise the farmer as well as the consumer. The basis of their system is monopoly, and there is no reason to believe that they will prove less dangerous to the farmer in this country than they have done in their own land." The local buyers, who may not be altogether unbiassed witnesses, are ready with further evidence in support p£ this view, and representations have been made to the Minister of Agriculture on the subject, but it is difficult to see how he, poor man, can prevent the visitors paying as high prices as they please for meat.

MORE MEN, Recruiting in Wellington lias been going on vigorously during the last fortnight, and between September 27 and October 14, inclusive, 463 of the 601 men who presented themselves at the central office were accepted, a very encouraging record so far as "fitness" is concerned, and not an altogether unsatisfactory, one as regards numbers. But the local quota for the Twenty-second Reinforcements, which will go into camp to-mor-row, is still short. Of the men accepted during the fortnight only 203 were for the Twenty-second, 105 being for the Twenty-third and 94 for the Twentyfourth, while 50 were distributed .between the Tunnelling Corps, Wireless Corps and other "extras." This, on the race of it, dots not look very propitious for the "More Men" agitation, but the daily cablegrams are increasing the number of people who think New Zea-' land ought to be putting forth its supreme effort now. The Imperial Government is making no secret of the fact that it wants every man it can secure either for military service or for the manufacture of munitions, and it would not be surprising if Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward were given a delicate hint to this effect. The main object now, the ultimate success of the Allies being assured, is to win the war quickly, and towards this end by force of example New Zealand could lend valuable assistance^