THE FROZEN MEAT POSITION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 227, 19 June 1920, Page 9

THE FROZEN MEAT POSITION

STILL UNSATISFACTORY AT HOME

DELAY IN UNLOADING SHIPS From Our Special Correspondent, Palmerston North, June 18. Messrs. M. A. Eliott and 00. havo received the following letter, dated May 6, from Messrs. Gilbert Anderson and Co., tho well-known London agents:— "Tho output of frozen Australasian mutton is still very restricted, and tho trade are pressing for a reduction in price, and tho futuro prospects aro very wia'atißfaqtory. V7e wish you' to understand that evcrythinit is beini: done' to protect tho interests of New Zealand exporters, but wo are meetinK with much opposition from different quarters. The shortage of Homo supplies is so marked now that, a crcat opportunity is being missed by the Government of clearinc stocks here owin? to tho restrictions that aro placed upon the sellers. Wo set up committees who report to the Board of Trade, and everything points to an alteration being made, when there is a block either by the Treasury, the Ministry of Pood or some other Department. So far the Treasury refuses to lower the price irrespective of the condition, and naturally now that wo have got partly free from control, as individual firms, we aro pressing for an alteration of thingß. • "Last Monday; saw Smithfleld Market •free, that is. members of the Board of Control are now allowed to purchase from nominated agents on the basis of full maximum price, i.e., Is. Id. per lb. for lamb and §d. per lb. for mutton-less 2J per cent,, of which they pay 1 per cent, to tho Control Board, which latter are still paying their rent and staff., leaving them 1 per cent, net profit. As, however, they have to pay the maximum price and risk the condition of tho goods on arrival at Smithfleld, this ia far from being a business proposition. Heavy-weight owes are coming into competition with American bright straight sheep, with the result that aomo stallholders have had to sell under tho purchase price, an,d so they hesitate to eo on. iTho ewes aro all mixed in store with' wethers, and no auent has got authority to accept a lower price, no matter how badly porished tho goodß are when delivered. Wo aro doing 1 a ?ood business, but wo have to look at the position in a general aspect, and there 1b no doubt that the Auatralasian sellers.are being badly left, and thero ia no real attempt to get traders to use their efforts to get rid of the meat.' "The Karamoa, which arrived on February 4, is now discharging. We have seen some of the meat which dhows signs of white mould spots;, and you can quite imagine that when a vessel is hung up in the river three months that it is not a eood place for tho meat to be left in. Several vessels, including the Waimana, Port Pirie, Kaikoura, and Rlmntaka, are all waiting to discharge, and we are very pessimistic as to what will happen in a few months' time, when;there will be a biggey percentage of Home-killed ■ meat about, and the hot weather will ereatly affect the marketing of imported meat. "It is hoped that with the trade's latest appeal for ewes to bo brought down in price, i.e., to 8d; per lb., and Australian sheep to 2d. per stone under New' Zealand, a little more life -will be nut into selling by wholesalers,, but nothing will be effected until buyers can handle the meat on a. better basis, that Is, either to sell it on a commission for,what it la worth, or sell It at a Jlxod price leas, say, 4d. per stono, which should leave a margin in the event of a oercentaae of the meat having to be oold under cost."