OUR MEAT AND WOOL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 657, 6 November 1909, Page 5

OUR MEAT AND WOOL.

» TRADE OUTLOOK. i . MR. W, G.'FOSTER ON THE POSITION IN ENGLAND. ' ( ( AKGENTINA AND THE BEEP TBUSX. Among those who have recently returned ftotn - s England, to comploto too throe-summer schpmoi is Mr. W. G. Foster, managing director of tho Wellington Meat Export Company, who arrived back on Wednesday last, after six months' absence abroad. Being thus closely associated with a largo meat company, Mr. Foster won scon by a Dominion representative, and was consulted regarding various phases' of th« frozen-meat trade, which, as most pooplo ntl aware, has not boon lately in so flourishing i condition. "I don't know that I could say anything > now as to the causa of tho slump in meat,"Foster. "Tho market had gradually diooped over sinco last season, and as the ', ' meat came forward it piled up, forcing thl ' prices still lower. The initial causo iB not oasj to define Who can say what brings about such fluctuations in food supplies? It has been stated that the falling an ay in the demand ' for meat was the poverty of tho lower classes, but it is not tho lower classes who bought t frorcn meat. Ifs. not the cheapest class of food, and : there is an immense number of working men in England not earning moro than from 12s. to 15s a week, who cannot buy frozen meat even at slump prices.' An lncreased ( Consumption. " Then again tho consumption increased enori moufily with the decroaso in prices. Various estimates were made as to what that increase I had been, and they ranged from 50,000 to 120,000 | carcasses per nook over tho normal demand for that time of the year. Latterly the estimate reached as 150,000 carcasses per week above the normal, but.l think that wos'tf littlo. 100 high. The best authorities, however, calyulntcd it as 100,000 carcasses "When I left Home," continued Mr. Foster, "tho market was stall viiry dead and dull. Tho increases in price 'which took place whoa I I was on tho waumworo for mutton, of Thich I there was very littlo in storo. Lamb, of whioh ( there was any quantity in Btoro, did not rise like mutton, and even in tho case of mutton, the rise was only for ' spot' ( There was no forward business, and anything on 1 tho water or hero could not be sold within a Id. per lb. of tho ' spot' price m London. There wa* i no inquiry to .speak of now. Heavy Argentine'Shipments'Uke|y., > ' 'Tho rise might have been-caused through tho Tathcr so\ero drought which lias been experienced in the Argentine. I met a ranchero, ' from tho 'way-back' oi tho Argentino-a French Count—iv ho informed mo that tho drought had only affected the loner plains, and would simply imoan the curtailing of shipments of . fatv stock for the season, and the holding of it until the next. For. that reason I think < there will be very heavy shipments from tho ' Argentine during, tho coming season. ' "I travelled right through England, from London to tho extreme north, and found that t they knew all about frozen meat. Even in th« <, little rural villages, tho local butcher had an% ordor for two or threo Carctsses of frozen '! mutton a week. So that I don't see how vorj - 1 much good would come of ' advertising OUT moat. ,It would have, to bo,done on, a very largo scalo, if at all. to make an impression, and would be a most expensive business." Did you notice our meat being sold at' English anywhere P was asked. , t "No, I can't say I did, but I should feel inohnod to give the man who did a pat on the baok. If ho can sell our good meat as English lot him go on selling—that won't, do. Us any harm. It is when thoy sell inferior Australian or Argentine mutton as New Zealand-grown that wo feel and resent it. But Australia has been just as much 'in tho soup' as wo havo over tnoir meat lately." The Meat Trust ' Mention of tho Argentine brought up th< operations of tho Chicago meat , fangs, wh{ havo been buying into commanding posiboni in tho Argentine, and who—according to I rumour some six months ago—wcro oven con- o tomplating extending their operations to Australia ana New Zealand. Speaking > th« , '' subject, Mr. Foster said.— , - n \ "1 should judgo that tho beef "trusts are I acquiring these large interests in South II • America, not so much to control markets aa '|| to scouro supplios for the needs of North I ■ Amonca, for tho day is almost at hand when • America will havo to look beyond her borders > for meat 6unplics fur her onormous population. - To put it a littlo moro dearly, tho points of f production and consumption as far as meat is 3 concerned are now vory close together,, and i they are beginning to look abroad already for . fresh sources of supply. In any oase, I don 4 r think it will affect New Zealand." "I am more than over convinced that conferences between tho representatives of meal ' companies would effect ranch good. I have always urged the desirability of bucH meetings, but two or threo of tho companies would not como in, 6o none wore evorneld. I am suro there are many 6ubjeots which could bo considered, and happily dealt with, which tfould I bo in tho interests of the meat consumers a» oweS as'the moat'producers." s ' The Wool Trade, f Mr. Foster did not care to [speculate much about the wool trade and its prospoets. Ijn nool mon don't know themselves—they taw the risk and bear the brunt. It is a grew gamble-ionietlnng suddenly turns up which creates a demand for wool, and those that tt« holding ore able to quit at a profit, but thej ~ are never able to antioipate with any oertainty, d To give you an idea—l made the acqnaintana L - of a lop-man, who bought heavily oigntoea n months ago and hold. Tho market collapsed. b. but ho was able to hold on, manufacturing just ,t sufficiently for tho demand, until finally the ren covery came, and ho found himself a good deal ■ i- bettor off. There -ivoro others who could not * , hold 1 But, really, ono could not foreo cast tho prico of wool. I wasi informedat n Home that tho outtook for woollen mauufacit tures was'vory good." ,