THE MEAT QUESTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19848, 17 January 1920, Page 9

THE MEAT QUESTION.

MR MASSEY FAVOURS COMMANDEER. OPEN MIND ON OTHER QUESTIONS. The meat question figured prominent Ir in an interview this morning with the Prime Minister, in connection with the general question of commandeer. "I think it would bo a good thing if they would renew the contract Tor meat for another year,” Mr Massey said. “ I say meat only because it is much move important than wool. The dairy produce people are agitating for a free market, and to that tho Government has no objection, but ns it is impossible to empty the stores of Im penal produce at the end of tho year, if we could renew it for another season it would be a good thing to do, and for another thing would keep tho increase of ships going on.” “ Has the Government any objection to a free market for wool?” Mr Massev was asked. “Not that I know of,” he said. “ There is nothing urgent about woo!. You can put it in store in New Zealand and keep for five years if you like, but after we get clear we will have to wait for another nine months until we cau get ships.” An emphatic opinion was expressed by Mr Massey that New Zealand me-xt should not be all concentrated in Loudon. He was surprised ho said, that use was nob made of the huge stores at Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol, tor he could not imagine that they wore congested. He had sent a cablegram to tho High Commissioner asking him to impress upon tho Imperial an* thorilies the necessity of making use of stores in centres other than London. Regarding tho prohibition ■ of the telescoping of mutton, Mr Massey said that he had no further information. J.ho system of telescoping had been objected to by retailers because it was affecting the price the meat was fetchmg. Mr Massey reiterated his readiness to help the producer in any way to go fully into tho meat business. Tho sending Homo of representatives had been postponed, ho believed, on account ol a difference of opinion among tho producers ns to whether it was desirable, but it was not a Government matter. '