THE MEAT MARKET.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 569, 26 July 1909, Page 9

THE MEAT MARKET.

VIEWS OF THE HON. T. MACKENZIE,

AMERICANS SHOULD BE WATCHED.

Upon ; the matters mentionod in recent cable messages regarding tho Homo meat market, the Hon. T. Macfconzie (Minister for Agriculture); has something of interest to ray. Tliero was> he points out, a cgllapso in values at Home about eleven years ago, owing to an agent at Smithficld selling at a lower rate than that fixed-by the chief holders of meat. When tho agent brought tho price of lamb down from. 3s. 4<l. per stone, to 2s. 6d., c.i.f., be bought all ho could' at- tho reduced rate, -raised tho price, and made a splendid thing out of it. ■ .The New Zealand firm that consigned the meat that had broken the market asserted, that the agent in question believed tho market was going to be flooded with Australian lamb. Later on, when it was shown that the-supply from Australia, was below the avehige, the firm tried to justify its action by stating that the , price obtained for the lamb was- better than the rate obtained for lamb : from otfier sources. '. According to Mr. Mackenzie, the causes ieadirigvto the present ; depressed values could cot be remedied by spending a. largo "sum in advertising. -New Zealand meat was already being well, advertised by . tho Government and others, and it was also being well distributed. All the talk about an extraordinary glut, in tho Home market was largely due ,to misapprehension. . As a matter of fact, the quantity of meat available for sale from all sources last year was only If million cwt. more than in 1899, despito, the , fact that' the population was now i , between five, and, six millions greater. It was liis opinion that tho whole /question should be ! - approached in a quiet,' .thorough; manner. There was, he admitted, room tor some reform in the methods of handling tho meat at Smithfield. What was necessary was.Vto keep a close wateh on the American companies, , who were endeavouring to obtain a controlling influence on the. Argentine output There was now : a lessened output of chilled, beef from .the United States, and t&e shortage was being-:.made up .from the Argentine, although it did not command such high lvalues. . .-, .','.,. , r , . 1 v"lt is , probable," adds i Mr. Mackenzie, "that the American companies intend to use the mutton from South America for selling their chilled beef, very much in tho same way", as' a grocer sells sugar to,. secure the sale of..his tea:-.' It should be noted^hat_ tho price of Argentine mutton (which has-been sold as low as l*d.per lb.) is now so closely in sympathy with New Zealand mutton that a reduction- in the'price of one means a corresponding reduction, for the other. ;