NOT GETTING THEIR DUES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 961, 31 October 1910, Page 10

NOT GETTING THEIR DUES.

OUR MEAT AND BUTTER IN ENGLAND. STATE COMMISSIONER'S VIEWS. The important. subject of what happens '.to our frozen : meat and our;; dairy , produce when it/lands.in/'Engla-nd and gets into the' hands of private ',tradersis dealt with by Mr. H. C. Cameron, the New:.Zealand' Government;■ Produce Commissioner in Great Britain, in a paper read beforo the' Sanitary Inspectors' Association. After, Mi\ Cameron had spoken of tho agricultural production of the Muntry, the laws passed to . ensure, quality and .good condition: in: exports, and tho system of inspajtionj: he said:. "Regarding' these, I feel certain you will - agree with' me that great care is. taken, aaid that on arrival here, little fault . .can bb, found .either with-, ;the quality or./wridi'tibn of what. is/ .offered for consumption by the pcoplo in this conntry. Iffeh distribution of 'New .Zealand food 1 in. this oountryj however,: the . New Zealand' Government has little, or nothing to do. All.lines when placed' on the market here.; are ;ih the hands.of privato individuals, and come nnderthe control of the English' : law;s.:, .It is, perhaps, hardly ;my place . to criticise the methods of/.distribution ' here, although, in my opinion they are capable -vof v considerable: in\provemont.'/l I mlist admitj however, that I occasionally feel a little sorej to-say She least of it, when". ■I sea meat that, as. I .have indicated, has been ca.~ed for .and, landed here in good order ah'l"condition, being' exposed,, possibly,, to Vtho heat of .tho Bummer sun, or being 'carted through fhe streets in a van '.without proper cover; or, worse'.still,-.offered,for sajej hanging-in. front- of. ■'retail butchers' (shops; or cut up in joints, and in. small pieces, exposed to all.' the blasts 1 from heaven, carrying with them the accumulated filth of tho streets, which settles, dpon the soft damp surfaces in. thick layers". These , unfortunate/conditionsiapply not only to. imported meat, but to> English, meat as well. Had I my way ■"with '{the retail handling.. of meat, I ■should make it compulsory that'none should be sold : unless keptunder the ,most '.cleanly,; conditions '.ip-'shops . pro-: tected by. glass from;the contamination of the streets- and with good ventila-, tion. In these days, whon we hear so much .of microbes, I am _ often surprised at. the:Jittlo attention.- evidently; paid in many retail shops to';the protection of mqat from' contamination. ' . "One fault' With the distribution/that. ; is often found by those interested in ":our : New- Zealand food supplies, and ■who know- the, excellence of their quality, is that while they.are sold in the • wholesale, trade as", New .Zealand, -when, rfchey are . retailed :in -the .majority "of instances their 1 distinction, as. New. Zealand:.is lost.'f The question frequently' asked me is,/' Where can New. Zealand; butter, or : cheese, or.iohey, or'spme - other lino of New Zealand food supplies, bo; obtained retail ?' :;and ; unfortunately, 1 1 am' unable ..toU say':; where: with' any degree of certainty. . " "With regard to meat, ,of course the •.tenni 'Canterbury,' with . whiolv* the finest -brands,,o£ New Zealand mutton and 'lamb is .'- well 'know'ir-.and. generally /uj^id,'' but, * as . eraT occasion!' p'ro'vfed in -the law -courts of this: country vthe/ fa# ythart.,.. jthatterm: is, applied/'to'mutton yinfl ." ''lamb., ih ,mp.ny" retail shops throughout the . . toiintiT- is no . guarantee, that when ask-'; ed for New: Zealand .meat will" bo_.ob•fcained. :It is: ,a> gijevaince. -^ithi'mkny ; of - us; who 'are.'bbiinecfed witH : ;'sNewi Zealand that "the;' 'finest'of ,oiir 'muttbh* . and:.lamb. is. sold as English meat,. and . VthatVcarcasses of- inferior quality from .other, parts of the world are . substituted' and.sold as.the New -Zealand, ar-, ■: ticle. "In'th'ii way, : ivhild'consumers 'in - . this ' country are defrauded,:'the 'New ' Zealand riot' obtain' trie:advertisement!" they,,; should, from the sale of their finest quality, ; ; and the "reputation of their meat , is de,'preciated'bjrjftilis'^.fraudultot'substitu-,; tion. ■ . .;v ;-

. "Dairy, produce, whilst sold in'the wholesale market. genuinely as New . ■ 'Zealand, 'when;it,passesVfrom'first'hands ■ ifrequently.'reappearsjjand asliraudulent--' .3y,^supplied.,-to consumers, -as - .'Finest- : Dorset,' or- .'Choicest', Englishi' 'or some ■■ other con-. earner, aid'bjr WKithits source'of 1 origin is entirely hidden.' ..We know also. ■. that is is • largely'- usSd' ' fqr~ with othervbntters, and, while this :is, perfectly legitimate), it is .a- grievance that Now Zealand-properly has against -.. the methods, of. distribution-of her prq-■'.-'duos ih'Jthis' country.'.' - "Summing the 'whole; matter up, I consider. . that, -. while the k, methods adopted'ior the; collection! and ih-spec-; . tion of : ;duf New Zealand food' supplies, aro satisfacfery. and ' must: - • command\ . • -.themselves ;to tno member's. of'tj3s\.a%'( ■; sociation,' ; 'the 'distributionv of r this ' country ".cannot be;. equally' mended. . I; therefore,. tbat/j.tlie, , - attention I. have directed,-.to what I ■ consider', is. .unsatisfactory may 'consideration,' and that steps .may' be': ! ' taken for the ■ improvement' of : tribution. of. our 'New. Zealand 'plies, which ! am certain you'wil!'.'agi;e'e ; ' . with rno are so necessary;-' That'' im- r : provement in the handling and distribution of our food supplies is, owing to the energetic; and ; valuable; services', rendered by the. members : of this.association, ; - steadily; takiiig ' place I am ready to admit. - I can, therefore, only offer'the hope that in the near future-.such;cause - for. complaint.'as I have mentioned 'may ; be entirely removed." '

'.. A demonstration in, woolrclassing,.was given in : the Palmerston Technical . School on Friday by Mr. '.W., A. M'NaughV when there; was a good attendance. of those. interested in., this '■ workv ; The-; address 1 dealt principally.nth'the chart method of wool-classing,' by :which: any. farmer may -readily ,ac-. quire tho art . 0f..; -grading'. . Mr./ i 31' Naught was accorded' a vote of thanks for his- address:, ■ ;