COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17814, 13 July 1923, Page 10

COMMERCIAL.

| MEAT PRODUCERS' BOARD. ! FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. Tlie first annual report and statement ~- accounts of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board for the period from \l-reh 14th, 1922, to June 30th, 1923, „ to hand. It-deals exhaustively with iho activities of the Board since its formation. .. •\fter dealing with the constitution ./the Board and its personnel, it is -taU-d, in connexion with the accounts, -hat the levy within the dates mentioned has yielded £42,542. The Board possesses investments totalling £17.000 (which have to date returned £136 in interest) and other assets,■including cash--on current account, sundry debtors, furniture and other office equipment, refrigeration plant, etc., bring trie total value of assets to &£o,o'M. The accumulated fund stands at £21,385. The "Marks" Question. Tho report deals in detail with the question- of tho multiplicity of marks, and what had been doiie # in respect ol the removal of this disaoility. In regard to grading, the Board laid down a system of grade marks which should apply to everj' factory in New Zealand, and this scheme was adopted after consultation with the freezing companies. To-day there is only one mark for first quality lamb for New Zealand, tad the same for other grades "New Zealand mutton and lamb (states the) report) "holds a unique position in the world's meat markets, a position which has not been challenged by any other country; but we cannot afford to have our supreme position threatened by competitors who are increasing the quantity and quality of their mutton and lamb exports. Further, we must aim to give an unchallengeable guarantee that the whole of the huge quantity of frozen meat 6old by New Zealand on the world's markets is strictly according to grade specified, and thus inspire confidence in the buyer. It is this confidence which will enable the meat to be sold in advance and not after inspection and delivery of documents, with the accompanying possibility of a quality claim with its many abuses. If this can be accomplished and the New Zealand grading accepted as final' at. the other end, it will mean many thousands of pounds to the meat producers of-the Dominion." Other improvements referred to in detail are those concerning the .loading and discharge of frozen the regulation of shipments, handling charges at port of discharge, railway tariff on live stook and frozen meat, freezing charges, beef industry, pork industry, shipping freights, Imperial preference, retailing of New Zealand meat in Great Britain, markets abroad, advertising at the 1924 Exhibition, kidneys in lambs, etc. Shipping Freights. In regard to shipping freights, it is stated that the reductions represent over £575,000 this season to the meat producers of the Dominion, "and it should he emphasised that they were obtained 'only after very lengthy negotiations bofh from this end and by the Board's Dbndon office, and only after previous offers had been .rejected by the' Board. In fact, it was one of thelatest of these offers, made by shipping companies which embodied the rates fixed for and .accepted by Australia for the', coming season, hut these rate* vtejte rejected by .the Board, which was ultimately successful in obtaining further very improved reductions and important concessiona. Owing to the serious position, of the beef producers, the Board endeavoured to obtain a further reduction in tho freight rate on beef. The shipping companies met the position by granting a reduction of Id ■ per pound on the current contract rate, * to operate from April 28th. 1923, until the termination of the present coni wabt,~ namejiy, October 31st, 1923. " This reduction has resulted in a conjjiiierable increase in .the experts. The '; Board was also instrumental in obtaining reductions in the freight rate on ; fallow, and pelts equal to 22s 6d ■g»t ton from April 3rd, 1922, and a „ further reduction of 30s per ton from September 25th of lost year, lleduc- \ tionß in freight on frozen meat and •other produce shipped to "Vancouver and San' Francisco were also obtained." - Beef Industry. ' This year, owing to the serious condition of the beef industry, the Board apriroached the shipping companies wish'a view to obtaining a reduction in the freight rate on beef, and the shipping -companies met the position by granting a reduction of id per lb. At opportune periods the Board undertook two extensive • campaigns with a view to appealing to the consuming public to eat more beef and thus provide a remunerative price to encourage the fanner to grow prime beef. It is probably unnecessary to. here emphasise the gravity of the disaster if beef-rais-ing were allowed to lapse as-an unprofitable industry., Throughout a largo part of the North . Island it is necessary v to run a certain proportion of. cattle ,to keep the pastures in a proper state in. order to carry the maximum number of sheep. For this reason the cattle industry has a direct relationship- to the export of our mutton and lamb. Tho Board has ample, evidence |of " the great success of those campaigns, and would here acknowledge the co-operation of the newspapers and the farmers' organisations. Attention has been paid to needed improvements in the preparation of our frozen beef for tho export markets, and these have been brought under the notice of those concerned. N.Z. Meat in London. The London office of tho Board has been closely .watching this question, particularly with a view to ensuring that moat that is sold as "New Zealand" shall in every case be genuine New Zealand meat, and steps have already been taken to initiate prosecutions against unreliable retailers who have been detected selling an inferior article as "New Zealand." The Board lias under consideration further proposals with a view to effectively safeguarding New Zealand's good name in the meat trade in this respect. When conducting negotiations for freight rates for' the 1922-1923 season, with shipping companies, the Board set out to obtain special reductions in the rate on frozen- pork, in order to encourage and develop an industry which is at present in its infancy, but one which gives every promise of increasing a hundredfold with profit to the producers and the [Dominion generally. Empire Exhibition. The Board is strongly of the opinion that special advertising of New Zealand lamb and mutton throughout Great Britain should be undertaken, and the newly-appointed London manager, who has recently left New Zealand to take up his new position, has received instructions on this, matter. The Empire Exhibition, 1924, will afford a special opportunity for advertising our produce to the millions of consumers who will visit the Exhibition and thus further develop New Aeajands markets within the Empire. Iho Board has made itself responsible ior the frozen' meat exhibit, and is de-

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termined that this exhibit shall be second to none. With the Board's assistance and advice the Government is preparing a film depicting every phase of .the frozen meat industry in New Zealand. The screening of this film at the Empire Exhibition; 1924, and throughout the United Kingdom and elsewhere, should be a most valuable advertisement on behalf of prime New Zealand meati Markets Abroad. Tho general manager of the . Board was recently instructed to proceed to South America with the object of enquiring into and obtaining information regarding the conditions of the frozen meat trade. The shipments of mutton and lamb from South America during the past two years have been' abnormal. Whether South America can maintain or increase these shipments of lamb and mutton is of vital importance to the New Zealand producers. Mr J. Fraser left New Zealand on. May Bth, and it is hoped that his investigations will materially benefit the meat producers. The Board was instrumental in arranging shipping space for three important cargoes of frozen beef to the Continent of Europe. Reference is made to the investigations of tho vice-chairman, Mr J. S. Jessep, in London last year, and to other matters of an administrative nature. in conclusion, the report 'states: "We think the meat producers of the Dominion will agree that the existence of the Board has been, and is, a most effective insurance policy against any actions directed against the farmers' interests. It should be remembered that the Board's work has been all"'new; it was blazing a *fcrail and has had to feel its way as it went, but it can be depended upon to treat every problem in a business-like way. Already it has carried out. important and far-reaching reforms which cannot fail to bring profit to the producers and to tho Dominion as a. whole. Tho Board would emphasise that much which has so far been achieved could not have been accomplished without the existence of the compulsory clauses of the Statute. The immensity of the Board's responsibilities in regard to the control of the whol* of the frozen meat exported from New Zealand can bo best realised when it is stated that such produce represented 52.88 per cent, of the mutton and lamb which required to be imported into the United Kingdom during the year 19:22 to feed the millions of people who inhabit our Mother Country—and in 1921 the percentage was no less than 66.25." The income and expenditure account for the loi months ended June 30th, 1923, gives the expenses of management as £6.336 for the head office and £4OBI for the London office. Salaries represented £4625 and £2242 respectively for the two offices. Members" honoraria amounted to £2606, and members' travelling expenses to £l2ll, and the vice-chairman's travelling expenses during his visit to England and the United States of America to £867. The remaining principal expenditure was £IBSB for the supervision of grading and of loading steamers.