MEAT FOR AUSTRIA.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14307, 19 March 1912, Page 5

MEAT FOR AUSTRIA.

ARGENTINE ACTIVITY

NEW ZEALAND FAR BEHIND

(special to "the tress" , ). ■ INYERCARGILL, March. IS. Dr. Rotrg, who returned to luvrrrargill on tSaturday evening. alter a Tound-the-world tour, had Kometlv.ng interesting to say to a "Souihl>i:d Times" representative on a proV.osn which is at present troubling the Continent a great ileal —how to supply meat to the people at a price within reach of the working man. Dr. Hogg spent some time in Vienna, j and he had the opportunity of sttidving j the methods of living nnd social probIpins of the people there, and the problems are many. How do there people live practically without metn? The average wage of the unskilled Austrian workman is three kronen (2s <xl) a day—lus a week. Iswf is set down by the Austrian butcher at I something approaching -is a lb. Mutto.i iis a little cheaper, but not much. It j can b<? imagined how much meat the j average Austrian can supply xo ;i= wife and family of four or five children. Meat, cay tho medical authorities, is necessary for the healtu and growth of ordinary man. Dr. Hogg said that there wore evidences in the hospitals of semi-starva-tion among the patients, but the health of the community under such conditions is surprisingly good. Stiil, the conditions cannot remain as they are. The ] nearest thing to meat the peoplo got is, perhaps, a few bones for stewing, | and even these aro dear enough. WhcM could supplies come from? Hungary? Yes, they could, but the relations between Austria and Hungary are rather peculiar, even strained. It is only tho very strong character of tho lSuipccor Jotef which holds the two countries in any way together. There is a deep feeling of animosity between them. Tho Hungarian meat merchants aro solid in their determination not to allow supplies of meat to go into Austria, except at a big price, and it was partly through their action that the dear-food riots of last year were caused. Vienna lias a population bordering upon U,0C0.000, and, in the whole of Austria there arc GO,<JOO,OOO people. What a market! And New Zealand is tho slowest country in the world to sco the opportunity. Argentine is anxious to secure a footing for opening up a huge frozen moat trade with tho Austrian Government, and tho preliminary arrangements hnve so far been satisfactory. Australia, coming in next, has realised tho stage of advertising. its meat in tho b ; g newspapers of Vienna, but that's all. | New Zealand has douo nothing. For j that reason she has lost, or is about to lose, a great opportunity for meat. The people must have it, and tli3 Aγgnntino authorities are alive to the position, and are straining every effort to get a good footing. Their representatives are already in Austria, but New j Zraland has not done anything towards; establishing a branch of trade in which i profits would bo high and the demand great. .