PRIMARY PRODUCTS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 105, 29 January 1924, Page 13

PRIMARY PRODUCTS

STATE OF ENGLISH MARKET PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE MR. MASSEY HOPEFUL — The Prime Minister again referred, at the civic reception at the Town Hall yesterday, to the prospects lor pnmarv products of the New Zealand market. He was convinced, he : aid, that the present high price of wool would be retained, and we must oven be jjeparod to pay slightly higher prices for woollen manufactures m < onseq icnce. Whatever improvement there was in the price of this or any other of cur primary products, it would be reflected in a general improvement in the condition of the British workman, and of our own people as well. . In regard to dairy, produce, while he could not tee ahead of next season, he believed that prices would oe maintained for the present. One circumstance that would contribute to this would, he said, be the British Empire Exhibition this year, and the largo numbers that would attend it and ask for foodstuffs produced within the Empire. He made a semus complaint, however, about the, state of New Zealand meat, as shipped to the English market. “I went to Smithfield,” he said, “and saw how our moat compared that sent by other countries. Jhe mutton and lamb from foreign countries was prepared better than ours, although everyone said that the quality of ours was th# best. lhe canz.is wrapping arounci the carcase nas v.ry often soiled, and there were cuts id the carcass that should not be there. [ must admit, however, that I visited Smithfield between the seasons: the old season’s meat had just been dispo‘c<X of, and the new season’s goods coining in from South America. We have established a reputation for our meat, and so long as we keep up the quality the prices will stand. But •ur ‘getup’ must be improved.” Mr. Massey commended the statein which the initial shipments of New Zealand eggs arrived on the English market. Reviewing the position, ho said that, for quite a number of year# in New Zealand, eggs were being imported from China-, and. in response to representations, he and the Minister of Agriculture >prohibited further ixnportations, despite some objections, In a few months the difficulty was the other wav; more eggs were produced in New .Zealand than were needed for home consumption. North America was tried, but -the market was not considered quite satisfactory. Then they turned their eyes to England. There were two lots, of half a million eggs, landed, and, he . was i old that there were only two eggs broken, and rone were unsound. The representative of the leading firm of London caterers said he would take the whole shipment, and as many more of the same quality as could be shipped from New Zealand. For a long time, continued Mr. Massey, there was trouble in the bacon trade at Home. Theie was a n'arket lor an unlimited quantity of bacon in ymithfield. “Thev showed me tons of American baton,’’ he said. “I do not find fault with bacon from another country because of that fact,tut the bacon I saw would not suit New Zea? landers. With all the dairy farming that is going on here, there is ncthing to provent us from producing and exporting bacon to England. I admit that the quality cf the Danish and Dutch bacon is good. I am toid that the Dutch buy American Lacon, and consume it settling their own to the English market. There is it great opening in England for our bacon, a-nd why we have "not taken advantage of it 'I do not know. Increased , export of our nrimarv produce filters down to every individual of the population, and is reflected in the general prosperity of the Dominion.” (Hear, hear.)