Meat Act enforced

On this day in 1915, the Premier of Queensland, Mr. Digby Denham, announced that at the request of the British government, the provisions of the Meat Supply for Imperial Uses Act (1914) had been proclaimed.

The Act had been passed in early August with the onset of the First World War, and its intent was to secure supplies of meat for the Imperial Government for the duration of the conflict. The Queensland Government had managed to keep speculative trade in check and control shipment and supply to such an extent that business was able to continue as usual.

However, Mr. Denham reported that he had received a telegram from London in which the president of the Board of Trade advised that military conditions necessitated a change. The British Government felt it necessary to take advantage of the Meat Act and requested the State Government to assume control of the meat works. All meat (sheep, cattle and pigs) designed for export was to be under State Government control, and the Government would determine price and destination.

 Robyn Hamilton - QANZAC100 Content Curator, State Library of Queensland