ARITHMETIC OF MR. LYSNAR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1040, 1 February 1911, Page 8

ARITHMETIC OF MR. LYSNAR.

MILLION'A YEAE'LOST.

_'In the course of considering all which has beeii-published concerning tub hand-' ling of Isew Zealand's exported irozen meat, it must havo occurred to many that some entirely reliable figures on the sudject would be of exceptional interest. ' lh an'< interview - with Mf.WV D. Lysnar, oi Gisborne,'who is taking such a prominent part .in the agitation lor improvements, this aspect was mentioned uy a Dominion -representative';- and .Mr. Lysnar said-that ho had had such figures compiled. • 'lheso ligurcs, he odciMl, showed now vast the loss to the country realiv was. ■■ ■ ■ •

■He estimated that there had been an over-charge of 10s. 9d. a ton for lrozen etorage, .which, meant n loss of 'JM),'tfl last year. Tho '.rave of ovor-chargo was . arrived at by comparing the charges paid ty om- exporters with the price of private storage, we loss 01 two-pounds on everyBheep.'Ono pound on 'every iamb, and two pounds on every quarter of beef last year's loss was,, ho estimates, ,£174,000. 'iho sum of 'thos'j two items is .£214,371, which' represents a direct loss in a single year- to iho producers ol Sew Zealand. ,','lhen,' continued itr. Lysnar, "autl to' that tno loss through dcicenvo liancuing, and tho loss througn want-of better lacnibes, as well as the loss in marketing, and it will.be seen that this Dominion must bo losing considerably over .£1 OUO - DUO a year." .In support of his contention that better storago Jacilities and better control of the market are needed, Mr. Lysuar made' reference to the slump which occurred .in-1909. .'lor'the iour months irom April to-August," he said, "when there was a Steady drop in the values of our products, till 2 s:b pence was reached there was a steady rise in the prico of-the-best Scotch mucton to rjci. wnoleeale." Bj- comparing figures" for the four mouths reierrcd to, aud the corresponding four months of this season; Mr. Lysnar deduces tho conclusion that there was only an over-supply of 518,388 carcasses when tho great drop came, and he holds that, theretorc, the big fall'in price was not warranted.

The. best prices which New Zealand obtains for all classes of nieat," ho contended, "varies from lid. to -tjd. per lb while a. considerable quantity is sold at Home at anything fronr sd. to lid. per Id. retail. And tlie New Zealand committee have abundant evidence, that there is a large quantity' of New Zealand' meat sold as the best English.. The producer is' losing the advantage of that." "The prospectsi" continued Mr. Lysnar "aro decidedly hopeful, and the whole rests with the producer. If they appreciate the position and promise the authorities at Homo to.take advantage of the facilities aslted, those facilities will be granted them. It has been noted in the press that the port authority of Tondon has. been authorised to Wild about £4,000,000. and it is claimed that one of the docks mil lie the most un-to-date in the world. Tho Smithfield Market Committeo hits been authorised, according to a cable,, by tho Court of Common Council of London Corporation, to hav° improvements effectd nt tho Smithfield market as a direct result of tho repreeentations made by the New Zealand committee. . ."The main thing is. to see. that both improvements are improvements which will help ■ to the fullest extent possible

the handling of our produce. What Hip New Zealand producer has yot to do is'to sco that'-vestal inttrosts do- not side-' track the authorities at Home so that tho improvements will bo made in such a way that we will not get the fullest benefit. , '