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■' (c.) It is essential that si.ringeut measures should be adopted by'the institution to prevent improper claims i'or damage being allowed, and so obtain the benefits of more favourable rates of insurance. " (d.) That steps be taken by a committee authorized to make the necessary arrangements for carrying out the above suggestions. " Dated at Christchurch, this 27th day of January, 1910." The Chairman. —I think the better , plan will be to take the report, of the committee clause by clause, and then when the clause comes in that affects the minority report, that can be moved as an amendment. 1 shall therefore move formally that clause 1 of the report be adopted. Ido not think 1 need say much on this point; this clause will recommend itself to the Conference, I am sure. It has been thought for some considerable time that it is necessary that the freezing companies should have some combination to deal with the matters mentioned here. At present, when they have to deal with shipping laws or labour laws there is no concerted action. As one body the}? would carry much more weight, and have a much better chance of having their resolutions adopted. If we carry this resolution, and get the freezing companies to form a federation, we shall have done very good work. For some years past this has been recommended to be adopted, but nothing has been done. We have now representatives of the freezing companies here assembled. I therefore beg to move the adoption of clause 1 of the report of the committee. Mr. G-. Jameson (Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association). —I beg to .second that. Mr. W. A. Banks (Hawarden Agricultural and Pastoral Association). —I, for one, should like to hear the speech of the Hon. Mr. Mackenzie before discussing the matter of the report. His speech might alter our opinion altogether. 1 should like to hear his speech before we take any of these subjects at all. Mr. W. G. Lysncur (Gisborne Farmers' Union). —1 suggest that we go on as we are going, and that the Hon. Mr. Mackenzie hold back his report until we have finished. I think he will be in a better position to give his speech when he has heard these reports discussed. The Chairman. —Is it your wish, gentlemen, that the Conference decide to proceed with the consideration of the report of the committee? —[Carried.]— lt has been proposed and seconded that the Ist clause of the report be adopted. I now put that motion. Carried unanimously. Mr. W. G. Lysnar (Gisborne Farmers' Union). —There is already a Frozen Meat Trade Association in existence, and therefore the present proposal is useless. It is an attempt to put matters on to the shoulders of the freezing companies, while, in. fact, the} 7 have their association in existence already. It is true that they work that association in London, but all the matters raised here are directly controlled by the London end, with the exception of grading and labour laws. There is another federation, the Employers' Federation, which the sheep-farmers are members of, so that there are two associations to carry out these matters. 1 shall not oppose this proposition, but it is useless ; it is a pretext to shift something on to the freezing companies when, there is no necessity for it. Mr. -John Tal'bot (South Canterbury Farmers' Union). —I shall be glad to hear what Mr. Wilson has to say about this. We may be getting into something worse than we have at present. Mr. Wilson was at the meeting last night, and representing the farmers, and f should be glad if he would give us his views on the matter. Mr. B. B. Bennett. —I should like to say a few words about the other side of the question, dealing with the matter from the London end. We have heard the views of the gentlemen at this end, and with your permission, Mr. Chairman, i should like to refer to the other side of the question. The Chairman. —You are speaking to the motion? Mr. Bennett. —Well, no, not exactly. The Chairman. —The motion is the adoption of the report clause by clause. Mr. Bennett. —I think my remarks are relevant. Yesterday we had the views of a great many people from various parts of the country, who have been in London, and who have brought charges against the way the meat is dealt with at Home, and I should like to say something in defence of that. First of" all, we had a gentleman from Scargill, who said he had been in Smithfield, and that it was dirty. Well, 1 have known. Smithfield for the best part of thirty years, and have spoken to hundreds of colonials who have been there, and it is the first time I have heard that Smithfield is dirty. 1 want to remove an erroneous impression in that connection. Smithfield is one of the cleanest markets in the world, and there are inspectors inspecting it all the time. But the market begins at i a.m., and unless a man goes there then he will not be able to judge properly. Did this man go there at 9 or 10 a.m., or when? If you have thousands and tens of thousands of feet passing over the market Mr. J. D. Hall.—'Sens of thousands of feet! Whose feet? Mr. Bennett. —Of course, there would be litter all about the place. It was also said that the barges were not all insulated. They may not have been, twenty-two years ago. Then another o-entleman said that he was very well pleased with the way the carriers handled the meat, but after That the chaos commences. There is no such thing as chaos. Any one going into a machinery or an engine room who does not know anything about it thinks it is chaos, but it is order, only he does not know it. Another gentleman from Scargill said that the New-Zealanders went on muddling away, not knowing what they were doing, and he quoted the Argentine and American methods. If you followed those methods, you would not be allowed to hold this Conference, in the first place. They are in the hands of the Beef Trust, and they give the grower anything they like for the meat ; the grower is not allowed to send Home consignments on his own account. He is not consulted in the matter at all. He has to take a certain price or go without. I have seen a man with a bunch of fat cattle hawking them all over the place, and because lie would not take