FALKLAND ISLANDS FROZEN MUTTON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1360, 2 October 1886, Page 3

FALKLAND ISLANDS FROZEN MUTTON.

la a recoot issue we reprinted from a Home paper, under the beading ‘‘Our New Rival,” an account of a BU.xe«sfal shipment of frczm mutton from the Falkland Islands. The New Zealand Herald (Auckland) had a leading article on the subject In which the editor relying on the letter of a London correspondent took the view that New Zealand need not regard the Falklanda as at all a formidable compediter. This evoked the following letter in reply from a Mr E. E. Pitrough, who is evidently well-informed upon the question, and whose letter Is worth re producing : —ln your leader of this morning’s date you discuss at some length the subject of frozen mutton from the Falkland Islands. It is naturally a subject of public Interest to New Zealanders, far more important indeed that the London correspondent seems to wish yon to believe, unless he has been altogther misinformed. By the same mail as h ! s correspondence, I received a private letter rrom Mr A. B. Crow, of Messrs Crow, Rudolf and Co., the owners of the Pe'embrla, which has been chartered by the Falkland Islands Frozen Meat Co., and in this letter h s gives me the following particulars :—“She (ie., Selembria) is the pioneer and only vessel in this trade, the company having the sole monopoly of the whole islands. She arrived in London three weeks ago with a full cargo of mutton (31,000 carcases) in splendid order. It is being discharged gradually, six or seven hundred carcases being sold daily, and the prices realized are very good—exactly the same .as for the best Canterbury New Zealand, They sell more readily than the New Zealand being not only delicious mutton, but also having less waste, and being rather la ger.” This, although simply sent to me for private Information, is a direct contradiction of the statements of your correspondent, and comes from the mo»t reliable source, especially as the owners of the ship have no interest outside their charter. With regard t> the ssntence In your leader—“ But the arrivals since,” our correspondent say«, “ are going off very slowly"—allow me to state that so far there has been only one shipment, and of that the results are as mentioned above. I think you will be prepared to agree with mo that under circumstances »s I have detailed them, the Falkland Island mutton is likely to prove a vary impor'aot com; etit r to that sent from this ci-ontry; aud, consequently, it behoves shipperr here to do M ail they know” if they mean to keep their hold on the market, instead of laying misstatements as a flattering □notion to their iobls" and going on their way rejoicing.