DOMINION MEAT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 15, 28 October 1932, Page 7

DOMINION MEAT

PRICES IN LONDON.

ENGLISH IMPORTER'S VIEWS. (Special to the " Guardian.") AUCKLAND, Oct. 27. "When I left London best lamb was selling at o|d per lb, and I received a wireless message a day or two ago stating that the price had dropped to 4|d for best down to 3£d for seconds," said Mr G. H. Michie (of Michie and White, Ltd.), the Smithfield meat importer, who arrived by the Rangitiki from London this morning.

"We had a rise in price when the season opened last year," he said, "but there was a crash, when heavy shipments from Australia started to arrive." He was .not conversant with events since he had left England as far a« Ottawa was concerned. During the Conference and unfil the time he left nothing had been made known in Britain as to the decisions, publication having been withheld until Parliament considered the agreements.

"My opinion is that if Britain restricts importations from Patagonia and the Argentine it will be to the benefit of the Dominion," he said. "If New Zealand goes on increasing production the tendency must be to reduce prices. "Industrial England has been having a bad time, and the housewife has only a limited amount to spend on :i joint, perhaps 2s or 2s Od, and, • for that reason, a small carcase is a good proposition for the retail butcher. Argentine lambs weighing 141 b to lGlb have been tried out recently with good results from the selling angle, but they have been mostly skin and bone. We get a certain quantity of lambs from New Zealand weighing about 261 b, and this type of carcase should be sent forward in larger numbers, because smaller joints maybe cut to suit the pocket of the working classes-. It must not be on the Argentine principle, however, and exporters must do nothing that will injure in any way New Zealand's great reputation for quality.

"There has been talk in recent times, both by importers and the New Zealand Meat Control Board, of introducing a third class quality lamb. This would be a mistake."

Discussing the beef market, Mr Michie spoke rather disparagingly of the New Zealand product, referring to the class slaughtered for export as being more or less scavengers. Mr Michie is the son of Mr A. Michie, who retired from the position of general manager of the Bank of New Zealand in 1906. He is still a director of the bank in London, and on the directorate of the New Zealand and Union Steam Ship Companies.-