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188
CONFERENCE ON THE MEAT SUPPLY.
A Conference (convened by the Greenwich Borough
Council) of Metropolitan Borough Councils to consider the
meat supply of the kingdom, and the present restrictions
of the importation of live cattle for slaughter, was held' at
Caxton Hall, on Tuesday, October 12th, 1909, and a large
number (34) of delegates were present. Lambeth was not
represented. It was decided to send copies of the subjoined
resolutions to all Members of Parliament representing Metropolitan Constituencies, to the Corporation of the City of
London, the County Council and to the Corporations of
Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow, and' to
the City Corporations and Municipalities with a population
exceeding 100,000, and to the Association of Municipal Corporations :—
1. The Conference, after carefully considering the Information at its disposal, and bearing in mind the conclusions arrived at by the Departmental Committee appointed to enquire into combinations in the meat trade,
and also the serious rise which has taken place in the
price of beef in the past two years, is of opinion that the
meat supply of the Metropolis is in an extremely unsatisfactory position.
2. This Conference is further of opinion that owing to
the failure of the home supply to increase in proportion
to the national demand, the decrease in numbers of live
cattle imported and the increased necessity of depending
upon supplies of chilled and frozen meat, it is easier for
the trade to be effectually controlled by large and powerful Trusts or Combinations of Companies.
3. This Conference is further of opinion that time has
arrived when the needs of large Urban Communities,
which have to rely to a great extent upon imported meat,
call for a relaxation of the present restrictions upon the
importation of foreign cattle for immediate slaughter in