FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13547, 7 October 1909, Page 7

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

* '■ ♦- THE PROPOSED FEDERATION,

MR M. O. ORBELL'S VIEWS. 3lr M. C. Orbel!, chaTfmon of directors of the British-New Zealand Meat and Produce Company, who was interviewed by a reporter yesterday, expressed his views in regard to proposals made by Mr F. Waymouth in the direction of establishing a meat trade federation in New Zealand. 3lr Orbell said that it was almost. hopeless to expect that any reform of the trade, by regular shipments or other means, would be supported by those who, to a great extent, had control of the business. Conflicting interests wero met at every point; not only conflicting interests but also the personal element. Recently a suggestion was made for a conference of the freezing companies to consider the deplorable, conditions into which the trade had drifted. According to the newspapers, one director or manager had an antipathy to tho other director or manager of another company, and therefore his company would not be represented. Mr Orbell added that ho was glad that he had no idea who the gentleman was. The incident tended to show how extremeiv difficult it was to .harmonise tho different interests. Ho was beginning to believe that it was utterly impossible. A few years ago an effort was made to organise a better system of dealing with the meat trade. Ho took au active part in the- movement, and he was surprised to read in tho newspapers that Mr Waymouth, who, when there was on op_*>rtunity to improve the position, strongly opposed' every effort to organise, now said: "We will havo to meet organisation with organisation," and also said, "With a little judicious organising I am satisfied we can get the full benefit or the superiority and splendid name and re_mtation we have." It was gratifying to know that Mr Waymouth had changed his views. Various reasons had been given for the present slump, and he agreed with most of them. He believed that one of the chief reasons was the limited purchasing power of the masses who consumed tho meat, on account of trade depression at- Home, and also the act of lunacy committed at this end by shijpping such huge quantities in April, May and June. It had been suggested that, in order to avoid such heavy shipments in the future, storage should' bo provided in the Dominion. He was opposed to that. The cost would be nothing short of half a million, end he would like to know who would raise that sum. He believed that there was a simpler alternative. It was recognised that it was- not advisable to Bhijp> lamb after, say, June 30th. The Dominion's export of lamb might be put down at J-sQOO,OOO oarcases, which would bo an average of about 350,000 amonth. By tho time the January shipments arrived tho Australian and Argentine shipments were comparatively over. . When the June shipments had been 'diEjuosed of, Holland came in. There was thus half a year without serious competition, allowance being made for early and late seasons in Australia and the Argentine. The whole question of regular shipments could be governed "by the freezing cpmpanies, and by them alone. As he had stated, he did not favour storage in the-Dominion, because he was quite certain that, for obvious reasons, the farmers'* paddocks would stand them at a much lower rental than cold storage. Their gain in that respect would be not only in the case of storage, but their lambs would arrive at Home in a fresh condition, without having lost the "bloom" consequent upon delay. If, therefore, the .freezing companies agreed to act in concert, the regulation of shipments was an easy; matter. Each, companyshould apportion its slaughtering to the number of stock within its particular sphere, upon a basis; of 350,000 carcases per month for tie whole Dominion> and should inform the farmers of such a regulation,, and tell them that applications for space would he in ac* cordance with the arrangement. It would be better for the farmers to hold the lambs for a week or two than to sacrifice them, as was done last season. Another question that materially affected Canterbury's good name for quality of lambs was the introduction of the comparatively new trade in connection with the second-class quality.., He was aware that there was a market for that meat. It not only,, however, tended to deprive Canterbury of its name for quality, but also augmented the number of carcases, shipped each month, which, for the main portion of the season, should consist of nothing but high-grade class. Ho knew that farmers in many instances were ready to sell half-fats and buyers were toe ready to buy them when they, had: the market. Tho greater portion of these lambs might and would be fattened if given time, and if the regulation in regard to 350,000 carcases a month was enforced. At the approach of tbe endi of the season, if the farmer had not sufficient feed to top them off, he could let them go at a time when-they would not affect the market. That second quality market was a recent growth, and there was nothing to recommend it. He was sanguine enough to think that the future market for lambs, if the mad procedure of the past; season was avoided, would be much better, and it would certainly be better, than many people interested in keeping it down would have the public believe, and that the result of next season's sales would not leave much, to complain of.