1.—7
94
M. A. ELLIOT.
Wednesday, 29th August, 1917. Meldrum Alfred Elliot further examined. (No. 15.) 1. The Chairman.] The Committee understand that you desire to add to your previous evidence? —Yes. J desire to place before the Committee a copy of a letter from Mr. Gilbert Anderson, London, published in the Manawatti Daily Times of 28th August, 1917, which deals with the question of the American trust and the British farmer. It reads, —■ EXPLOITATION—WHO ARE THE CULPRITS ?—AMERICAN TRUST AND BRITISH FARMER. This letter, reoeivedby a Palmerston business firm, is an eye-opener that he who runs may read: — Tho following are tho Smithfield market-prices for the months of June, 1917, June, 191 (i, June, 1915, and June lit 14 . ~ June, 1917. June, 1016. June, 1015. June, mil. Home-grown— (1 . ~. (l ~ ~. ~ ~ ~ Beef, sides .. ~ .. 1-U Hi.', 1(1.'. I2j 9J I I (>-?.', Mutton, wethers .. .. 15 18 LO*— Si II 7- 8i Mutton, owos .. .. II II 9J-10 li? 8 (U-- 7.1 Lamb.. .. .. .. 16-19 12-134 111 -II 9-10 Frozen— New Zealand wethers .. .. .. Sjj 7 - 7.] :ij 4'j> Australian wethers .. .. .. 8j (ifj 34- 3j South American wethers .. 11l 10 -101 7 3| Lamb, Now Zealand .. .. 11l 9i )SJ Ii (ij Lamb, Australian .. ..10 I)] S 54- 5J Lamb, South American .. .. II 11 -Hi 7; 64- 5; Chilled— " 8 Beef, fores .. .. .. II Si 7-J 34 Beef, hinds .. .. .. 14.J il> sj .5 t'roiii the above it will be scon that the price of home-grown British meat has advanced in price over 100 por cent., and that the prices of South American chilled beef have increased threefold. No attempt has been made by the Government to control or regulate those prices. All the Australian anil New Zoaland beef and wether mutton is taken to supply tho Army. The British Government have entcrrcd into contracts with the South. American freezing-companies to supply all tho frozen beef to tho armies of Britain, Prance, and Italy, along with a certain proportion of mutton. This makes it pcifccl.ly clear that but for tho supplies of frozen beef and mutton from Australia, Now Zealand, and America, the Army and Navy could not have been kept in the Held, and the British farmer has contributed nothing in this respect. All tho supplies of frozen meat in Australia and Now Zealand have boon commandeered by the respective Governments and sold to the Imperial authorities. Only a small percentage, of this meat is available'to the public — namely, lamb, and probably 10 per cent, of the mutton winch aro owes. In normal times Great Britain supplies 00 per cent, of the meat,, but at the present time 08 per cent. ; Australia 0 per cent., New Zealand nearly 9 per cent., and South America Hi per cent,., as compared with the total British production. 865,648 tons of frozen meat was shipped direct to Continental ports. Australian and New Zoaland mutton and lamb available for the public is only 07,490 tons, or .'ij per cont. of the total. It is furthor to bo noted that tho prico at which tho .Now Zoaland and Australian meat has been taken over by the Government is only comparatively a slight advance on pro-war prices, and the Army is being supplied by meat at a comparatively low prico. Contrary to the statements in the paper by Lord Inchcape and Mr. Prank H. Houlder, the shipping companies havo boon allowed to advance their freight charges by 50 to 75 por cent. Owing to labour difficulties and advance, in wages, port refrigerated storage has adavanccd from 25 to 40 por cent. Over 75 per cont. of tho meat mentioned in Lord Inchcape and Mr. Houlder's letter goes to supply the Army. Farmers and distributors of the home-grown moat in Great "Britain have taken full advantage of the. absence of frozen meat-supplies and have raised their prices, as stated, to over 100 per cent. Chilled beef and meat in the hands of foreign firms has remained uncontrolled, and has followed the price of homo-grown. British firms handling frozen meat havo had their supplies seriously reduced, while they have been compelled to sell the roduccd quantities at prices fixed by the Government at a pre-war rate of commission, while the quantity under their control is considerably less than 75 por cont. of pre-war conditions. It is therefore pcifectiy clear that there is no profiteering and no control of the market by the British firms. The present position shows the advantages that have accrued to the public in the past from the control of tho frozen-meat trade in tho hands of tho British public, and that the withdrawal of these supplies to feed the Army loft supplies of home-grown and foreign moat uncontrolled with a consequent extravagant riso in prico. Tho remedy —judging from past experience - ia the placing on tho market at tho earliest possible date the largost quantity of frozen moat that can be spared after a full consideration of the Army requirements, and tho placing of maximum prices on home-grown and foreign moat. Robert Buchanan Bennett examined. (No. l(i.) 1. The Chairman,,] What position do you hold?— 1 represent Messrs. Henry S. hitters and Sons, London, meat-salesmen. 2. You know that the object in setting up this Committee is to inquire into the operations of the Meat Trust here and at Home?— Yes. 3. Would you desire to make any general statement in the first instance? —I do not know that I can make any general statement, except that we all know the Meat Trust is at work, but if you wish me to say 1 know anything as to their particular operations I have no knowdedge on the subject. We have no documentary evidence to support what we hear. You can only go by observations of some years and to a large extent upon hearsay. In my own particular business 1 represent a firm of meat-salesmen on the Smithfield Market, and we have not been buying any meat —we havo gone on the consignment business. The trust has come along in the guise of a buyer or speculator and has bought on the spot, and as such interferes with my particular business. I know that this has been done, because when I have gone to clients they have told me that So-and-so came along and bought them out. When the English Government commandeered the meat there was a scheme whereby the growers could put their meat into a freezing company and they could nominate the Board of Trade to deal with the surplus. There has been no surplus of beef or mutton. That was all right so long as the meat was sent Home, but the nomination was a farce. I cannot prove these things, but I know my business has gone down considerably.
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