THE MEAT POOL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 10282, 10 January 1922, Page 2

THE MEAT POOL.

MEETING IN DUNEDIN.

A xixeetxng of persons interested in the proposed meat pool was held in Dunedin on Friday night, convened by the President of the Otago Ap. Association. There was a large attendance, including a /number of. producers,' representatives of commercial interests, and concerned in the matter.'V’ Mr E, C. Hazlett (president of Lhej Otago A. | and P. Society) was hr The chair. He called upon Mr Geo-. iV.laek to read the proposals, as made public hy the Government. x Mr Black did so, and then xntVed the following motion!—“That ti\\js meeting, after careful of the proposed : geieral pooling scheme for handling add dealing with \ the frozen meat trade, recommends \ that the delegates hppoixxted oppose The present scheme as submitted, but. this meeting is prepared to assist and support .'any sound workable proposal which will tend to place tliia most important industry on a sounder footing and which conserves the interests,- not; onljy of producers.; ’ of financial institutions ,and mer- . chants." • y ■ ‘ In moving the' motion "Mr Black subihilted ■ a', tabulated series of / reasons tlio , proposals fox;* the ilx&t'tyoql as 1 put-forward should be condemned, The motion was seconded by Mr ,]. Sinclair Wright. ' Mr A) S. Malcolmn, M.P., and others spoke, generally adversely to the proposals in its present form. Apparently Mr Black’s motion was not put, but Messrs J. A. Macphersou and W. O. McKellar were elected as ; delegates to the Wellington conference. . The South Canterbury Stock Auctioneers’ Association lias issued the following official statement as representing; the views of the Association : “In the absence of details of the Government’s proposed scheme it is difficult to give a considered opinion as to its merits, hut sufficient is ' ' ■ known to enable us to believe that , us'presented by the politicians it is fraught with the' gravest possible dangers to those whom it is desired . to benefit.' At present, we. can only examine the broad principles of the 1 scheme, and it is obvious that the , proposal jis designed as a counter , move to,; the operations of the Trusts, aild to endeavour to secure ‘ better prices than can be obtained • under present conditions. - : “Are not optional pools . such as have been arranged by -any of-the , stock firms', the best counter-to any unfair fixation of prices? Under 1 this system, any grower who is dis- : satisfied with the prices either in -the i paddock or salcyards, puts his slock. , in the freezing works where they are graded and pooled ipto, ..desirable sized lots, and subsequently sold ' ' f.o.h. c.i.f. or sent to Loudon, as is , considered best in the interests of . the consignee. 1 “We ulust not forget that.under ! the old conditions a few months ago lamb made the highest price in LonI dou sined the trade has been in-ex- y istcnce. 'Then came the slump, anti ' what were the contributing Causes? j (1) Thei accumulation of Govern- • nient stock of meat. (2) The ar- ' rival of many ship loads of meat, for, which storage was not available; (2! The unemployment trouble and con- , sequent .1 diminished purchasing power of the consumer. (4) The ’ unexampled dry summer in England. . which compelled farmers to sell all slock (it’to kill. “Apart from the general stuleI meat that something must he done |io improve the present position, nose! id reasons have Deen given for suck a drastic upheaval of existing; 1 methods as is proposed, ami tlv.- ; chief argument in favour of a com- , pitisory -pool appears to be that the proposal must consequently he a good one. But no one has yet been able to 'show that t lie-Government scheme is going to be an improve- • i meat on present methods ; and is ii nut a terrible risky experiment Jo upset an organisation that liar ' taken years to develop, simply...because we have all been more or less dissatisfied with the results obtained during the past few months. - ;• “At this end we may du sometiling to reduce operating and shipping charges, hut this can he done by an Advisory Committee, as outlined hy Mr Tripp. At the other end, though something may he done to counteract the operations of the Trusts (and .this is where they tire dangerous) we have ultimately to depend on the laws of supply and demand. “Meat is not the only product that has slumped. We see what km happened to butter. Shipment and’ distribution of this was controlled. I hough to a lesser degree than proposed meat control. Vet wc have seen a continuous duop in prirm-. Can the politicians arrest its fall 1 legislation? We. are afraid Cm l we, with every other producing country, have got to take our gno l, and look forward to the lime when prices will improve, which they will inevitably do when tint reaction: comes."