COMPULSORY MEAT POOL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 10283, 12 January 1922, Page 3

COMPULSORY MEAT POOL.

CONFERENCE OF PRODUCERS. APPROVE OF GOVERNMENT v PROPOSALS. HL- 1 WELLINGTON, January 10. The Meat Pool Producers’ Confer Renee comenced this morning. R Mr Massey presided, and was sup by the Hon. W. Nosworth: R (Minister of Agriculture) and mera ' bdrs of the Parliamentary Commit tee who framed the scheme. Mr Massey explained the genesi of the meat pool scheme, largely 01 the lines of previous speeches ii Parliament. Before the war pro ducers received 80 per cent, of tin London price for their meat, bn since then, until the advances weri made recently the proportion reeeiv ed was 4 0 per cent. We had pu our hands to the plough, and wen not going hack. It did not matte what the position may he. Mr Massey referred to the econo raies which should he made in tin .loading costs. Arrangements ough to he made for a ship to obtain hei \ -Cargo at two, certainly at no movi A than throe, ports. There were ; i( or 40 ships lying idle in New Zoa ( land. They should bo insulated am used to carry meat from the smallci .to the larger ports. Improvement! had been made since the scheme ha( been under discussion. He had re c/nved a cable from the High Com-missioner-'advising that the glut ii London bleat stores was now ended and all meat ships were being discharged. The Port of London an - ‘ thority assurance that a glui ■'was unlikely to occur again. Otlio; improvements were increases in the price of meat and the reduction o) freezing costs. Offers of assistance had been received from Hull and Mar Chester., -including offers to fin aim advances on shipments to Mandies- , ter. There was nothing socialistic in the proposals, which were cooperative. It was the duty of the Government, to assist industries on ' which prosperity depended. New Zealand meat should be better advertised in English markets. Then! should be more attention paid to grading, especially to keep inferior meat off the market. Britain had abandoned the old Free Trade policy and now gave preference to the products of the British Dominions. He believed it would be of advantage to Britain to give a small preference on meat. If the conference gave a general approval to what had been done so far, a committee would be set up. and representatives of freezing com- -. panics invited to meet them. The freezing companies were not all an- ) tagouistic, and their interests were ■* identical with the producers. He emphasised the md,in points of the scheme as a producers’ organisation, with Boards in New Zealand and London to attend specially to grading, finance, and the prevention of over-supply at the other end. Replying to questions, Mr Massey said each district would be graded according to the class of meat produced- Bach freezing works would have its own subsidiary pool. The pool could not be satisfactory unless compulsory, but it was a matter for settlement by the coiiimittee whether the scheme would go far this season', and whether ’ compulsory powers would need, to lie exercised. Established brands would not be in- ' terfered with. It woud lie necessary «t the Government brand on the There was no question of politics in the matter. The at this end would deal with ig, shipping and handling, and ,_Joa rA at the other end would JookAftar the market. It was tingreatest monsense in the world to say that New Zealand meat was only a drop in\tiho bucket. New Zealand exported more mutton and lamb than any other country in the world. In eight years New Zealand sent nearly 20,000,000 carcases out of 45,000.000 imported into Great Britain. In regard to the personnel of the Board, Mr Massey said that would be for the producers to decide. it was not to be a Government Board; they could be quite snro of that. Mr T. Duncan (Hunterville) moved:—“That this meeting recognises the necessity of a national scheme for marketing New ©Zealand meat, and supports the principle of the compulsory pool; That a Committee be appointed to investigate the possibilities and advisability of bringing the scheme either wholly or partly into operation during the present season.” In seconding the motion, Mr Perry (Masterton) referred to the rapid fall in prices a few months ago as compared with the present rise. It looked to him as if prices had been artificially dropped, but (he people responsible bad evidently it wiser to raise them again, Mr W. V. Pearse challenged the statement that the market had boon “rigged.” The glut was due to the lack of organisation among the freezing companies. Mr Pearse said that there had been some question of the regulation of prices, and they must proceed very carefully. The lack of disinterested advice as to the meat market was another reason for the establishment of a pool. At the present time the producers had nobody to advise them, and if they had a board of three men in London, thousands of pounds might be saved weekly. Mr Massey, in reply to a question said stock agents and exporters would "be invited lo confer with th< Producers’ Committee. They wen satisfied wilh the existing channels of distribution. Mr Tripp (Canterbury) gave notice of a further amendment; —“That a Committee should investigate and icport in six months.” • ‘ The notice was greeted with marked disapproval. Sir Walter Buchanan gave notice of a further amendment: “That a Committee should be appointed to bring the scheme either wholly >( Oi partly into operation this season. After a, lengthy discussion, the motion moved by Mr Duncan was carried. COMMITTEE SET UP. In the evening the following committee of fourteen was appointed a act in conjunction with the I arnamontary' Committee, in appointing the New Zealand and London Boards to arrange the inception of the scheme: — ... , . North Island—Messrs W. J loson, J. S. Jessop, Wm. Perry, T. A Duncan, H- B. Williams. Georg* Pearse A. E. Harding. South Island—Messrs J. Begg. A. J. Mur ray, J. C. N. Grigg, E. Bowman, J

O. Coop, D. G. Wright, E. P. Burhury. . Mr Jones moved, that this meeting recommends that the representatives present wait upon the freezing companies of their respective districts requesting them to voluntarily join the pool and make arrangements accordingly. They must, he stated, make it very clear that the interests of freezing companies would he considered. After a lengthy discussion, the motion was carried with a few dissentients. Enthusiastic votes of thanks were accorded Mr Massey, the Government Advisory Committee, and the Minister of Agriculture. . The conference closed with the announcement that the new committee would meet on Wednesday morning. A SMITH FI ELD PROTEST. LONDON. January 9. A large meeting of Smithfield tenants interested iii the colonial meat trade adopted a resolution protesting against the New Zealand meat pool proposals, on the ground that, in their opinion, from experiences during the war, all forms of Government ’ control are wasteful and against the best interests of the producer and consumer.