FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13909, 7 December 1910, Page 4

FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

NEW CUSTOMERS IN EUROPE

NEXT SEASON'S PROSPECTS.

(FROM OUR OWN- COBRESr-OSOT.N-T.} LONDON, October 2b. By the time these lines are in print all eves will be turned to the new DMt season, and even not a few »vords maj he said in advance. As things S<> sent, there should, by the end of November, bo practically, no New ca^" fl mutton or lamb on hand here, and "«"• of course, means that the coast is clear for tho Australian trade. With a gcen send-off for this, stocks should ho J*eptdown from the start, and with a slate, as was the case at the beginning of tho 1910 season, tho portents should ho entirely »ood for New Zealand meat. Very much, of course, depend* on tlie way in which the Australian meat comes forward, and members of the Now Zealand trade oyer here are -mtenHv watching whether Australians pursue the holding-hack tactics which some have said they will. It is generally thought that such n procedure is an unwise one. ft is not possible to create a healthy market by starving it. A PLEASANT RETROSPECT.

All those engaged with New Zealand meat on this side speak of tho past .season with satisfaction and look on 1909 as something of a nightmare. In mv market round I have come upon Mr W S. Gharlev. the manager of the British New Zealand Meat Company, in tho final stnees of his year's report, and with a record season to detail for his company, which ho tells mc nas more than doubled its turnover and has altogether had a very prosperous time, while, so far as ho knows, senders have heou very satisfied. Tho fact that double the number of carcases have como forward speaks volumes for the confidence of New Zealandcrs, who bore stedfastly the brunt- of the disastrous 1909 season, with its reclamations. THE BEEF PROBLEM.

Beef, although with the general trend of the market at this time of tho year it has made a shade of improvement, stands in the unenviable position that it has now done for some considerable time. Comparison with 1909 prices is, of course, no criterion, hut those who handle tho stuff are mindful of the fact that tho 1908 average was S.God for hinds and 2.95 d for fores, a level not attained now. The dominating feature of the market is Argentine beef, and frozen beef, seems entirely at the mercy of South American shippers- To all appearances, this state- of things must continue until new trade outlets relievo the market, and this is what is just now stimulating tho eagerness to find new customers for frozen meat. DRAWING FIRST BLOOD. The march of events is so rapid that one cannot say .what will happen shortly with regard to new trade being, established in Europe in connexion with frozen meat exports. The marvellous hat* been accomplished in the admittance of 2o tons into Austria—so soon :»fter the Cold Storage Congress, but not because of it—and the Viennese, bought the Argentine arrival greedily and joyously to the tune of Is Id a lb. No further consignment, it has been said, is to enter before Christmas, but a measure to admit 10,000 tons into Hungary is talked of. Argentine is, it seems, an easy first in this race at tho start, but if tho trade grows big even this will improve other markets. ITADIAN ENQUIRIES.

As a matter of fact, Italy and Spain were thought to bo tho two easiest victories for frozen meat crusaders to gain, Snairl made a modification of the present import duty of 7s 6d a cwt on fresh meat, and the agrarian party is not so strong in Spain as in some other countries. Italy, even more than Spain, seems on the ovo of "letting in the furriner." One of the New; Zealand meat companies at Smith-field informs mc that it has during the past month received no less than three separate enquiries from Italian firms as to prices, qualities, etc., of its meat. One of the chief impediments at the present time to a trade being started with that country seems hesitancy on the part of the Italian Government in actively supporting the two or three schemes promulgated. An early cvs 2 tomer will probably be found in the army, and Spezzia, whoso further development as a military base is contemplated, will be one of the first places concentrated on. MADAGASCAR.

Speaking of European markets r?r» minds mc that some French capitalists are now working for the, establishment of a trade in frozen beef between Madagascar and France. Madagascar, it seems, is something of a "dark horse" as a stock holder, for a year ago, 1 hear, tho poll-tax on cattle revealed its herds of over one year's age to oxceed 4,200,000. On the face o? it there would seem to be all the material hero for trado between the French Colony and the Republic, but all is not plain sailing. I Happen to knowhow speedily about a year ago som* well-laid plans for a meat trade between another French Colony, Algeria, and France wero nipped in the bud by agrarian opposition. By the way, someone mentioned to mc that tho first International k<o\&. Storage Congress at Paris, in 1903, more to stir up this agrarian hostility than to further the cause of the refrigerated trade/ but I do not believe it. STERILIZATION. The person who has been asked to go out to enquire into tho possibilities of this Franco-Madagascar trade is an Englishman, Mr J. A. Lmley, the inventor of the Linley sterilizing process, and Mr Linley is accordingly resigning his directorship of the Soum American Improved Chilling Company, Mr Patrick Gardiner taking his place. Some British capital will in all probability be required for the French scheme should it ever mature. By the way, I hear that the Linley process is going ahead steadily. lne seven newest Nelson boats for the Argentine trade are to be fitted with it, and Houlder's. are now iiaving.rfc installed in, I believe, ten of their vessels. THE BUTTER, MABKJST. The butter market is very sluggish, and a "bear" movement on the part, of some dealers on this side is responsible for a drop in prices of Australian stuff. At the moment 80 per cent, oi the Australian butter here must W> classed as "inferior," hut a fortnight should suffice to reduce such qualities to about 20 per cent, of the whole. Mr Lowe, of Weddel's. tells mc that he expects the first New Zealand butter when it arrives to make il-s, which is, of course, less than was anticipated. v REFORMERS. j The very free discussion that has surrounded the complaints made by Mr Lvsnar, and also by Dr. Chappie, in Sydney, of the conditions of handling frozen meat over here leave little room for comment on the subject in this letter. With regard to the report about bilge-water in barges, a market man who accompanied the investigator on the wharf at the time tells mc that the complainant when challenged by him admitted that the meat from those barges was in fine condition, but this fact did not enter the report. A port authority chief was very ready in his agreement with the suggestion of a grant transit-shed for the whole of London's frozen meat, but if this is expected for a small price per ton of meat what will he thought of the present item of 3s Gd per ton for dragging the meat across a quay. Dr. Chappie, of course, raises a smile on this side.