A VICTORIAN ON NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8730, 28 February 1894, Page 5

A VICTORIAN ON NEW ZEALAND.

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. MELBOURNE, February 21. Mr Simon Fraser, ML. C, who is largely interested in squatting pursuits throughout Australia, has just finished a trip thrcugh New Zealand, during which he seized the opportunity of seeing and hearing as much as possible about the frozen meat trade, and the consequence is that Mr Fraser has returned, proud of Now Zealand in having done so much, impatient with Victoria in having attempted so little. To go through New Zealand just now, Mr Fraser has stated to an Argus interviewer, is a liberal education to a Victorian. He comes back with the feeling that in frozen meats, fruits, wine, wool, and gold lies the salvation of the country, and that to these all energy should be turned. New Zealand, Mr Fraser thinks, has done almost too much in the establishment of meat freezing works. They are iv each other's way at times, and consequently individual failures must not be regarded as affecting the general question. The difficulties are often a question of local competition. As regards prices, Mr Fraser consider! 2d a lb for sheep at the farm a splendid " We would be delighted to get Id a lb for ours. There our opportunity as against the world will finally come. No one can supply cheap meat and make a profit out of it as we can. At present undoubtedly the New Zealand sheep are of superior quality for shipping, but we can soon breed the right class of sheep. It is a mistake to suppose .that we cannot fatten crossbreds on our natural paddocks. We need only small paddocks, better watered, for crossbreds cannot travel long distances to water as meriuos can without suffering by it. We could do just as well in the better parts of the Western district, in Gippsland ; indeed in all the better lands of the colony. I have seen freezing works in New Zealand right iv the very heart of the timbered country." "Did you discuss," Mr Fraser was asked, " the question of New Zealand contracts and shipping rated with public men in New Zealand ? " " Yes, I talked it over with Mr J. G. Ward, the Treasurer, and they are as anxious as we are about cheap freights. I found freights for New Zealand meat higher than I expected, about a penny a pound as far as my memory serves mc, but the New Zealand Government are doing everything in their power to promote the export trade by cheap railway freights, and our Government will have to do the same thing if we are to pull through this difficulty at all quickly. New Zealand's experience is very valuable to us; it will prevent us wasting our capital in establishing too many freezing establishments and bringing them into competition with each other." "Your trip through New Zealand, then, has been, in same senses, an eye-opener ?" " I consider it the best education available one can have just now, when people are talking of saving the country by propping up little city manufactories here and there. I have always believed in the success of this trade, and have advocated it in Parliament, but was never more sanguine as to the possibilities of success Joan lam now. New Zealand competition is as nothing to us, considering the price at which we can produce;, and the fact that we have about 100,000,000 sheep as against her 18,000,000. Of course it is a wonderful country, and after travelling over a .good part of the world, I know no country so favoured by nature, rich and moist, for there is water everywhere. Still, as I have already stated, we can do exactly the same thing oh our best land."