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MELBOURNE MEATi
SUPPLIES
Will Be Acquired by
Government
BLACK-MARKET MOVE
' From "The Arc" Special Representative „ ,. .. .. |
CANBERRA, Monday. — Drastic action was taken by the !
Federal Government to-day to defeat black marketing of ;
meat in the Melbourne metropolitan area, and to ensure I
equitable distribution of the short supplies anticipated next
week end.
As from Wednesday, all meat slaughtered in , the Mel
bourne area and all dead meat coming into that area, will be
acquired by the Federal : Government and distributed .under
Government control.' Power for this action will, be taken
under a National Security Regulation to be issued under the
Meat Industry Control Regulations. " j
Announcing this to-night, the l
Minister for Commerce (Mr.
Scully) snid arrangements . had j
been completed whereby officers i
of the inspection branch of the |
Commerce department would i
undertake the examination -and I
Inspection of meat for local con- j
sumption/ Ceiling prices would i
be paid to operators in accord- 1
ance with weight ranges nnd the.;
price schedules as determined by i
tlie Prices Commissioner.
That would mean that nil meat
from stock slaughtered in the
area, or dead nwat coming into
the ar»n, would be diverted into
cold store on meat control ac
count, and would be released later |
to approved wholesalers for de- i
livery to retail establishments at i
current ceiling prices. Wholesalers!
would .be allowed a nominal
charge for the service rendered
on behalf of meat control. .
Staffing Leakages
Mr. Scully said he hoped the
conditions operating, which
made the issue of the order
imperative, would he temporary,
bill he emphasised that the
order would continue until the
overall supply position of all
classes of meat was more closely i
related to the actual coupon i
entitlement.
It was a matter for regret, lie
continued, that the public would i
be subject to temporary Incon
venience but. the measures now ,
being implemented were necessary
not only to safeguard Inflationary i
tendencies, which in the long run
would endanger the general stabl- .
lily of the meat industry, but 1
to ensure that stock values 'would |
be in line with ceiling prices,
which had already been lifted to i
very high levels in view of last-
year's losses.
It was Australia's duly, lie
said, to make available the
maximum quantities of meal (o
Britain in accordance with the
terms of the long-term purchase
arrangement. The Government
was determined to -sec that-
the practices prevailing In Mel
bourne in the last three or four
months, and which prevented
that being done, were stopped.
, It was, he added, the Govern
ment's aim not only to control i
prices, but also to prevent the i
leakages in meat to the civilian !
population which had become so '
serious since the cessation of hos- i
tilities. - j
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