THE FROZEN MUTTON TRADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1765, 19 September 1885, Page 14

THE FROZEN MUTTON TRADE.

I called yesterday (writes the Star's Home correspondent) at the offices of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, and had an interview with Mr Paul, the manager. He informed me that the prices of frozen mutton are at present rangipg very low — as low in some cases as 2s lOd per stone of 81b, — a fact which is due (1) to the large quantity of mutton in the market, and (2) to the comparatively small demand in this hot season, when people as a rule eat less meat, and many ordinary customers go away for a holiday. The next quarter, however, ho expects to be a good one ; it is always good, aivl is called "the butchers' quarter." lie is still certain of the ultimate success of the trade, especially with the gradual adoption, as opportunity arises, of the new " Chambers'' freezing apparatus, and with the more careful consignment (or " focussing," as Mr Paul said) of the supplies to fewer hands, so that supply in the market might work more evenly with demand. Other produce, he said, is also low. It is worth attention from butter-makers that the " Home taste is more and more inclined to butter with little or no salt.

THE OREAT RIVAL IN* MUTTON

Decidedly the most important event of the past fortnight to producers of mutton is the decision of a large firm of meat salesmen in Liverpool to encourage the importation of River Plate mutton to the Mersey, as against the importation from New Zealand to the Thames. This firm (Messrs Nelson and Sons) have hitherto been large buyers of mutton from your Colony, but they seem to see a better opportunity for themselves and their customers in Lancashire and Yorkshire in the encouragement of the River Plate trade. They intend to go into this thoroughly. Several vessels of the Houston line, trading between Liverpool and Buenos Ayres, have been fitted with refrigerating machinery, as also have been the storagerooms at Bramley-Moore Dock, where the first consignment of 8000 carcasses was received last week.

I made a special call on Mr Paul, of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, to hear his views of this competition. Ho is not seriously afraid of it ; he doubts even whether it will much affect London prices. Against the advantages enjoyed by the River Plate producers — such as their comparative near ness to market and the £>°P u lousness of the districts they are invited to supply — must be set at present these disadvantages : — (1) Taking into account the small cargoes at present shipped compared with the enormous loads from New Zealand, and the heavy harbour dues of the Mersey, the intermediate charges will not be much (if any) less than if the mutton were brought from New Zealand ; (2) the River Plate mutton is a long way inferior to New Zealand — in open market in London it always lags behind in price — and with this inferior mutton, it is proposed to supply those parts of England which are precisely (and in this I cordially agree with Mr Paul from what I know or the Northern folk) the most f.tstidious of all in the matter of mutton, because their home supply is of such good quality. The New Zealand mutton will no doubt maintain its supremacy; but that it should really pay the producer those concerned in the trade must strive to lessen the intermediate charges, and to this end the economical Chambers freezing machinery should be adopted all round as soon as possible.