FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13546, 6 October 1909, Page 4

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

INTERVIEW WITH MR WAYMOL'T H

Mr F. Waymouth, formerly managing director of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, and au authority on all matters appertaining to the frozen meat trade,returned to Christchurch yesterday after a visit to England. Mr Waymouth was in England at the time ot the disastroiis slump in prices of ij 0 *; 0 " meat, and from his knowledge ot the trade was able to nick out the causes, of tho slump and form a sound opinion as to what would be the cause of events in the future. xMr Waymouth. was interviewed by a "Press" representative yesterday, and he entered into a tull discussion regarding, the position that had arisen, giving some valuable Hints on tho subject. . . "The principal cause of the slump in the meat market," said Mr Wjjymoutn, "was the bad times experienced in .England. There were 30,000 unemployed in Glasgow alone, and almost all the engineering and bhipbuilding firms on the Tyna were closed down. In other industries, particularly in the cotton trade, the men were working part time, and throughout the whole country men were more or less in a state of unemployment. These people were tho meateating public, but on account of unemployment they could not atford to buy meat, and the consequence was that the supplies, as they came to hand, found no market. Another cause was the lateness of the season, and vegetables which should have been available in June did not come on till July, and people consequently did not buy lamb, for the Teason that they could not get the accompanying vegetables, when 1 arrived in London, about the middle of April, it was impossible to get Canterbury lamb, bufc'during the next two months it poured into the country in enormous quantities. Then, owing to the late season and bad times, it was not wanted, and the stores became congested. The meat people then began to get afraid, and they all tried to get out together. It must not be forgotten, however, that the prices for all the other classes of meat, whether homegrown or imoorted, suffered a corresponding declfne, and the English farmers felt tho depression just as much as the New Zeahnders did. In reply to a auestiou as to the prospects for the future, Mr Waymouth said his; opinion, which he had expressed to several of the salesmen and people interested in London, before he left, was that all old stocks should be cleared oft" at all hazards. The new season could then be started with clear stores, and there was no Teason then why prices should not %-y back to the normal level again. When ho left England the indications pointed to a slight improvement, and certainly sales had extended considerably. There was no prejudice whatever in England in regard to tho use of frozen meat, and tho prospects for the future were much more favourable..

Continuing, Mr Waymouth said that there was one way in which the British public did not get the full advantage of the low nrices, and that wa&i owing to the fact" that several of the larger people in the trade who had bought very heavily for forward deliveries would not sell at the low prices then ruling, and that had caused the market to drag considerably, and really prolonged the trouble. The smaller people, who had not bought for forward delivery, were able to sell at a cheap rate; but the bigger people, bound by contracts made before prices dropped, wore afraid that if they cleared their stocks the market would harden and they would have to buy at the higher prices again. Regarding the meat,trade generally, Mr Waymouth said that he thought that the New Zealand trade suffered very largely from the fact that not only had the people in the trade to meet the competition of other countries, but they were divided among themselves. There was no doubt that even with the low prices ruling the people who handled English or Argentine meat did not, on account of their better organisation, make the losses the New Zealanders did. His opinion was that one of the bast remedies that New Zealand could apply would, be for the whole of the companies to form a strong federation. That need not interfere at all with the details of the business of tho different companies, for the federation would work in their mutual interests. There was at present ipo muoa petty competition in the trade, and companies bidding against each other too much for the buying, at this end, and also for the selling at the other ond, whereas a little mutual , give-and-take would make it better for everybody. In addition to devising a scheme fj? mutual benefit in connection with the disposal of i>ho meat in London, there were many other matters which a federation could well take in hand. Fo-* instance, there were the abuses in connection with the system of claims for damage made by c.i.f. purchasers, and purchasers ex ship, which were as bad now, if not worse, than they were when he was in England twelve years ago. That was a matter which by mutual agreement and a little organisation could be remedied, but it was only by the companies here that the matter could be dealt with. The federation could also see,that vessels at this end were in a proper condition to carry meat, and could also see that bills of lading and insurance policies were satisfactory. For instance, there had been recently promulgated m England some new arrangement with regard to th/> frozen meat clauses in the policies, and without consulting anyone else one firm accepted at once that new arrangement for the coming season, thus weakening the position of all the others. The altered conditions accepted by that one institution would make the cost of insurance much more in the end. Another thing was that under present conditions it was impossible to ascertain the stocks of tho frozen meat in England,* whereas with a strong federation that information could be obtained. "We will have to meet organisation with organisation," added Mr Waymouth, "and the more you see of London tho more you appreciate how seriously we are handicapped at the present time." On the subiect of rival meats, 31r Waymouth said that the Argentine meat was much better now than when he saw it twelve years ago. It had decidedly improved in quality, and now ranked with some of the best Australian. The Australian meat was very irregular in quality, and he was sorry to say tnat iv the case of two New Zealand companies there was an irregularity in their meat that was a disgrace to them. "Everybody admits," added Mr \v aymouth, "the superiority of the Canterbury article without question, and with a little judicious organisation 1 am satisfied we can get full benefit of that superiority and the splendid name and reputation we have."