OUR FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14821, 12 November 1913, Page 3

OUR FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

AN ERA OF BEARER MEAT

A MEAT DRESSING COMMENT(TROV OCB, SMCIAI/ CORRKSrO.VDR-'Tr.) • LOXDON, October 3. A-second, or what is known as a St. Martin's, summer has evidently tired the meat consumer of eating lamb and mutton, and trade in these frozen commodities has been very slow during the past months. Mutton has latterly been in short supply, but lambs have been over-abundant, considerably over half a million, it is said, being in cold .store here. Tho remarkable thing is that prices have remained as high as they have done, for, as producers will know, old for Canterbury lamb early in October is an unusual thing, and the only explanation is that an era of dearer meat is being looked for everywhere, and a corresponding buoyancy obtains. The small butcher who buys hand to mouth, and .serves frozen meat in th«; poorer districts —his name is legion—has had a miserable season, and now dearer frozen beef ivill be added to his woes. The c.i.f. buyer has had only a fair profit on t-dtal: all tendencies point to every inducement for those at the consumption end to maintain prices f-o their utmost ability in the near future. The Wilson tariff, the expanding Continental market, and trade prospect. , ? generally, point to dear meat nest season. A Lancashire cotton strike as is at the moment threatened, would, of course, make a bad beginning. AMERICAN BEEF PURCHASES. . One of tho most noteworthy features of the frozen meat market at tbo present time is tho remarkable buoyancy of frozen beef, which is talked of on all sides as a rising article. "Beef is going to be a lot dearer,"' said one ot tho officials of a leading American house- the.other day to a distributor on market, and I happen to know that it is the American factor just now which is responsible for this tone in the beef market. ' The fact is that for some little time past several principal American firms have" been intent on laying their hands on all the beef they can in view of the demand in the States that they will bo able to meet with imported supplies directly tho Wilson Tariff law comes into force, which may be any day now. It is, of course, impossible to say how big these Yankee operations have.been in London, but if 1 were, to say that- 2-5,000 quarters have been thus sold to the American, I should probably be- near the mark, and the new prospect' may be relied on to raise clie price of frozen beef in London considerably. New Zealand will be wishing she was sending more to town. HELPING FARMER SETTLERS. A suggestion which I had put to mc the other day by a New Zealand farmer at present on a visit home, whilo it does not directly concern frozen produce, will probably be of such interest trj New Zealand agriculturists that I consider it worth while giving in this column. The fanner in question left England many years ago as a boy, with all his worldly possessions consisting of £20 all of which had been given him by his old employer in order to give him a chance in the new world. Like all young men of grit and determination, he has prospered well, and now, on his return home, he has hunted up his old benefactor, with the idea, of repaying tho £20 with interest to date, making tho total repayable considerably over £200. However, his benefactor has refused to accept repayment, saying that it was a present. The farmer is convinced that there are hundreds of young men,' of from sixteen to twentyone years of age, in this country who, if they had a similar chance, could improve their position and become indei pendent. This £200' the New Zealand farmer wants to put down as a first donation to n fund to help this stipe,;***-, grade of emigration. A society formed I for the purpose could by careful seloc- ' tion enrich the Dominion with only those young fellows who would by their force of character and energy make the best of citizens, repaying as opportunity offered the loan with which tho society gave thorn their chance. I wonder what the New Zealand farmers think of this idea. Are they ready to lend a helping hand ? MEAT DRESSING. It is worth while- mentioning that there has been no complaint made on the London market since tho New Zealand freezing works started, as to tho dressing of tho mutton and lamb coining forward as the product of free labour. In fact the general opinion has been that frrv> labour has turned oui tho meat in as capable a manner as formerly. This is encouraging to tho New Zealand farmer; it could perhaj)S only happen in a country where every farmer's .son and moro bnsidtes cvro trained to kill and dress an animal. RUSSIA AND REFRIGERATION. The International Refrigerating Congress, late'lv ended in the United States and invitee] to St. Petersburg for 1916, will have in Russia a place where mechanical refrigeration is being developed at a great rate. The Russian Government is fathering the movement, which is all in tho interests of developing home agriculture and not to encourage frozen meat imports. A big system of district cold depots is I>eing formed with a larce number of refrigerating cars and icing stations for the safe transport of the meat niul nrodiice over the big distances of Russian territory. At present there are on the Government * railways 1914 refrise r n<-ing cars in service, whilo another 2-i3 are nn order. On the privnte 420 ,nro in use, with anotl'er 13" to be built. The cold stores to be built number about ton according to rresent plans, of a total capacity of •5000 tons. AMERICA'S LATF.ST ACQUISITION. Tho news from South America that the Frigoriuco Argentine had shut down, its works owing to the severe competition from the American-owned freezing companies, is followed by the report that Sulzberger's have acquired this undertaking. It is another victory to the Americans, though whether the different Trust houses are really now acting in concert or are fighting each other has been cal'ed in question lately. In all this strife and competition for new markets Now ZeaIrmders may 'look on complacently if they only continue to produce the world's host in the best manner, and continue to bod the premier priVe in the best market in the world —Great Britain.