FROZEN MEAT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13744, 27 May 1910, Page 7

FROZEN MEAT.

TRADE WITH AMERICA(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) WELLINGTON, May 26

Interesting possibilities for "s<"• future of New. Zealand meat sre suggested by an article in the ''Now York Post" of Apr' 1 J4rh, which states that a small consignment of.-Canter-bury frozen mutton had been received in New York from London, and tli&s other shipments wero expected. Tho article ro*ids as follows:—"Wholesale meat dealers of this city were interested to-day in tho announcement that the Atlantic transport 7 liner Minuewaska had brought to this port from London $91 frozen mutton carcases. Tlie mutton came from New Zealand, and was said to be such meat "as Americans have not had tho pleasure o- feasting upon. It was Canterbury mutton, wiiolo shiploads of .which arrive at London from New Zealand throughout the year. The importing.of.these carcases into this country at & tariff of a ceut and a half a pound, together with the co.t of freighting from New Zealand, indicates that there are men in this city who find that even with these trade handicaps, they are. able to sell the meat here nt a profit-. " is an innovation, but ono that will be carried on extensively In the coming months, as several more steamships ire now said to be on their way -to th.l 9 port with mutton in their cold storage comoartments. It is believed ttyafc this* meat will be sold under tho prices pi evading for the domestic mutton, in which event meat dealers hore will have an unlocked for situation to meet. As compared to th© shiploads of twenty-fivo thousand carcases which London receives month in and* month out, the consignment which arrived here yesterday on the Atlantic transport liner was not large, but this and other consignments ore expected to produce effects strikingly out of all proportion' Whether a, great deal of '.mutton could thus b« diverted from the London trade without causing a shorta<***i? and consequent high ttrices in the English metropolis is the question to be considered, according to men familiar with conditions on the other side. 'The total weight of• the 'carcases brought by tho Minnewaska was enly twenty-five tons,' said Mr Love, of the freight department pf.t.he company to-dny, 'and as it is consigned \o order, wo are not ai liberty to say to whom the consignment will finally go, but I think it Is reasonable to assume that local meat dealers wjU get'it-'" Thcee statements of the "New V .rk Pos.." were brought under- the notice of two ■ leading • representatives of the frozen meat trade in Wellington by* a "Dominion" represent-ativu to-day. Neither of them was inclined, to attach any importance to the prospects of developing a regular trade in frozen meat with the appreciative Americans, -The fir.=3l authority who was seen pointed • 'ii*- that tho consignment received a,t New York, was sent from London, and ♦hat the frozen meat conl-panies in New Zealand had no cognisance of its despatch. American, mutton'was-pot so good as that which camo from-this country, though tho beef and' bo-*?*, raised in the States were first-class, and Apierica shipped chilled beef to England in large quantities. There was no steamer service by which Now Zealand could supply frozen mutton ito New York witb advantage. If it wentvia San Francisco there tra**} the necessity for transhipping at Tahiti, in addition to which the steamers on this service made no provision for carrying frozen meat, and there -was no direc* service from New Zealand to Vancouver. This authority considered. that. ***. regular trade in frozen muttpn from the Dominion to "the, States was not practicable. Tho representative of another company who was -seen, stud that' thero was some talk of 30.000 carcases having been sent from- London to' ■New York before, but from enquiries which h» had made the rumour to be without foundation. He thought, th* chances were that tho meat referred to in the "New York Post. had-been sold in London for New York. Last year. when it was stated that come New Zealand mfat had beeii from London to the States, there was a slut in the London market, and price's "were very low. Prices had now recovered, and there was no loncer the sami*? inducement as there wiKht haye been i a year --go to send New_ Zealand TOPaE from London to N-»w' York. • He did not question the statements nmde by the American paper, but the consignment referred to was a very small on«, i*.nd he don Mod very much if it-was any indication of subp-viurnt supplies. If the consignment referred, to ;was . iti*»f actor v. there was very little eioubt that somethius further micht follow, but up t-o Wednesday, when h**** -had mado enquiries, no haziness in fro*'*!! ■rcient between No*" s " Zeale"d and the States was known of in t*nß country. He ws satisfied that thfl day wns not far off when North America would havo to lcok ols*>wh<*ire for some of Ha dortu».*tic su-opli.s of meat, but h* -id ■not think tb-»t trndt could be developed from New Zealand. ' '• .