MEAT INDUSTRY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20667, 4 March 1937, Page 6

MEAT INDUSTRY

NO INTERFERENCE BY STATE PRtMB MINISTER GIVES ASSURANCE By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, March 3. The Government has no intention whatever of interfering with the marketing of mutton, lamb or beef produced in New Zealand unless at some time those industries get into such a condition that Government assistance is warranted. A very definite assurance along these lines was given toddy by the Prime Ministers the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, in an interview by telephone from Wellington. Mr Savage’S assurance was similar to the one he gave recently to the wool industry. “When I Was in the South Island someone asked me if my assurance about non-interference with wool applied to meat,” Mr Savage said. “My reply was that it applied to everything —to meat Just as much as to wool where the conditions of the industry did not warrant control or interference of any sort, but I added that I believed the time might come when those industries would be glad to get a guarantee from the Government that they would not receive anything below a certain figure for mutton, lamb and beef exported overseas. The whole situation is simply this: We have no cut and dried ideas for dealing with these matters.

“There Is no definite plan laid down aiming at general State control of such industries. There will be no State co ntrol or interference unless we are convinced that there is need for it. As I pointed out to the wool people who asked me for the assurance I ga"e in Wellington, and to the meat people in the south, we came into the dairy industry because the situation demanded it. In the case of wool, while it is not in a bad position there is no need for Us to interfere at all.’