OUR FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14759, 1 September 1913, Page 3

OUR FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

THE WEAKNESS OF LAMB. CURRENT ITEMS. (feo- ova special connEsroxursT.) LONDON. July _o. This timo last year New Zealand lambs in the London market were making considerably over 6d per lb., and tho market is now rather staggered at the prospect of their dropping and holding rather persistently at old, and oven 5 l-8d for heavies, in spite of the fact that tho statistical position does not by any means warrant it. In fact, ifc would be easy to point a striking contrast in the strength of the market in favour of this year as against last, that is, so far as supplies ought to govern matters. For instance, this July there are IGG.OCO lambs less to arrive than in July 1912, while mutton is __.O,UUO carea-ses down, from all sources, chilled beef is 32,-UO quarters short, and frozen beef is -IO.OOU quarters below last year. With all tins in favour of the current market, observers will say thero is "something rocten in tlio itate of Denmark." As a matter of fact, tiie position is an entirely false one, and tnoso who know best are now convinced that the present low rate is the result of sellers having persistently higher rates than were warranted for lambs earlier on in the season. Owners two or threo weeks back who had some slight accumulations, it is true, made panicky iales when tho money market was tigin against them, but tlio general posino_ is rather more the swing ot a pendulum with, as one importer-said to mc, "an extra kick in it." 1 should not- be far wrong it 1 said that never before lias the British meat consumer been more severely tested as to his maximum demand than this year. High prices, have, according to more than ono large distributor, driven frozen lamb out of use. For several months past we have had the Americans pushing beef for all they were worth, but tho methods of tho*'cute Yankee are different. lie takes care to emblazon his shops with bold advertisements of his cheap meat, and all the while that we have been talking about the beef importers' huge losses on low prices, ho has, as a matter of fact, worn a contented .smile and probably come out well to tho good. Last year the quantities of lambs in storo wero actually double what they are just now, and yet there is this big market failure, of which I hope all parties concerned will learn tho moral — that there is a market range which must not be disturbed if continued trade is to be enjoyed. All the cry p.f dearer food which one has heard of lato has not resulted in the butcher being able to extract even a further penny out of his customers, and frozer meat producer's and sellers must not think that they have arrived at thaiEldorado of enhanced prices. Mutton, which had been going dearer, is looking rather weaker at the moment, the scarcity of River Plate mutton, however, keeping New Zealand meat fairly firm. Tho secondary carcases which arc about ar.d cheaper lamb have effectually prevented any appreciable rise. Chilled beef is shorter again, but it is a slow sale; frozen beef has improved in demand, and larger quantities havegone out. C.I.F. TRADE IN BEEF. A new c.i.f. contract for frozen beef has recently been framed for the Australian trade, ono of its special points being an attempt at the solution of tho question as to who shall pay for tho inspection of the cropped meat. The terms arrived at aro in favour of tho sellers, but I understand that the note lias not been generally adopted, so that nothing much has been dono to clear up this point. ON THE CONTINENT. Thero is not much news regarding Continental developments in tho frozen meat trade, though tho parties prosecuting that, at present, precarious industry aro keeping full vigilance in all directions. It is announced that some more cold stores are being erected at Havre, and these are to be bonded stores owned by Messrs Vestey, whose enterprise under tho Union Cold Storage Coy. is now world-wide. Messrs Vestey, I. havo heard, are also interested in some Australian station undertaking. France, by the way, is gradually developing a dead meat trade with her colonies, Senegal ar.d Morocco both being the centres' of projected freezing works. , Speaking of Australian meat export and tlio attention paid to it by Americans makes extremely interesting the news that Armour's as well aa Swift's are about to acquire an interest in Queensland's moat production. Swift's are now well established on the Brisbane river, and possibly we shall'see Armours getting nearer tho coast. I notice that Mr S. V. Nevanas, discussing the Trust question with a Press representative recently, said ho believes that the Beef Trust is behind somo ol tho recent purchases of Australian beef. If the Wilson Tariff Bill becomes law he thinks there will be a big demand for lambs in the United States next year. PORT OF LONDON CHARGES. I am informed on good authority that the Port of London Authority has just had informal interviews with the Incorporated Society of meat importers and tho London Chamber of Commerce on the subject of the sliding scalo of cold storage charges which are complained of. As a result of these interviews tho Authority has, I am told, intimated its intention to fall in with the wishes of the importing trade as soon as it has a chance of fully gathering those. Its Albert Dock cold storage scheme, to which I referred in my last letter, is going ahead, and by way of noting the up-to-date facilities to be provided there I may say that the tenders include the supply of 43 electric luffing cranes of 60ft. radius, with a lifting capacity of 30 cwt. at ordinary speed, and gear to admit of lifting 3 tons at a slower speed. No ex]>ense is to be spared in tho new equipment.