BEEF TRUST ACTIVE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3608, 22 August 1912, Page 5

BEEF TRUST ACTIVE.

INQUIRIES IN NEW ZEALAND.

THE GOVERNMENT WATCHFUL

By Telegraph—Special Correspondent WELLINGTON, Aug. 21. The activities of an American meat firm in Queensland have excited some concern in Now Zealand, and in theHouse of Representatives this afternoon the attention of the Government was directed to the methods followed by the American firms in securing the control of meat supplies. A question on the subject was asked by Mr Young (Waikato), who -suggest ted a co-operation against such exploitation among the- Australian State and Federal Governments and the New Zealand Government.

The reply given by the Minister for Agriculture on to-day’s supplementary order paper stated that the Government is aware that an American firm has purchased land near Brisbane for the purpose of establishing meat works there, but the connection between this and the operations of the American Meat Trust is at present merely a matter of inference. The position is being carefully watched and any developments likely to prejudice the interests of New Zealand will he promptly dealt with.

Mr Young said that the connection between the Brisbane meat works and the American Beef Trust was more than an inference. Agents acting for Swift and Co., one of the most powerful members of the Beef Trust, had acquired 220 acres on the Brisbane river, and freezing works were_ being erected there at a cost of £350,000. The American representative frankly admitted that the works were to be run by English and American capital. Mr Young described the alarm that this enterprise had created in Australia, where the meat exporters feared that they would be subjected to the methods by which the Trust had engineered its campaign in the Argentine. The Commonwealth had taken steps to protect itself against such an invasion by its Anti-Trust Act, and lie urged that the Government should take action in tho matter. Mr J. J. Anderson (Mataura) said that the New Zealand meat trad©, was sufficiently important to attract the attention'of the Beef Trust sooner or later. He had been informed by a Southland meat exporter that the Beef Trust was making preliminary inquiries in the North Island. Mr W. C. Buchanan (Wairarapa) said he hoped the Prime Minister would realise the importance of making a stitch in time in regard to the trouble momicinjt this colony. He had three times visited the United States and he had noticed the damages inflicted on producers by the operations of the Trusts. The first step the Government should take should be to make inquiries in America, where settlers had become only too familiar with t-he nefarious trust operations. It was well known that agents of the Trusts had gone all over New Zealand and Australia some years ago making inquiries. The Minister for Agriculture.(Mon. W. F. Massey) replied that there was no doubt the operations of the American Beef Trust must he watched. Ho was strongly of opinion that so long as New Zealand owned its railways and the meat works wore in the hands of tho farmers there was very little, danger of the trust extending its operations to Now Zealand. If it did attempt to do so while the present Government was in power it- would not bo a very good thing for the American Beef Trust.

Mr Buchanan : AVatch the shipping. Mr Massey: Evcrv possible precaution will be taken.