FROZEN MEAT.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 156, 30 December 1898, Page 5

FROZEN MEAT.

4 TRADE SECRETS GIVEN AWAY, IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS. [FROM OTTR SPECIAL COBBEBFONDENT.] London, 19th November. Lately the market for prime Canterbury mutton has gone back 2d to 3d per stone ; a lot of stuff has been brought forward and buyers who are landing now are all calling for assessment. On the one hand Canterbury seems to have been a little careless in grading, and on the other different qualities have been gradually but surely creeping in. At one time Wellington and Otago mutton, particularly perhaps the former, would be as much as lid per lb less than prime Canterbury. This induced a good many people to go in for Wellington and Otago meat, and they are now so well satisfied that they will not change back, even when prices are the same. • Mr. Thomas Mackenzie has made somewhat of a new departure, and in his circular report to the Canterbury Farmers', the New Zealand Farmers', and the Hawkes Bay Associations, he gives away some cherished trade secrets. He says: — "Prime Canterbury mutton has receded 2d to 3d per stone, and trade is exceedingly slow ; c.i.f. sellers are having a very 'pleasant' time in consequence. As stated in my former report some of the grading is not satisfactory ; still there is nothing to justify the wholesale concessions now being demanded and conceded. These claims are made by buyers chiefly to meet a fall in the market. The system here for assessing faulty grading would be laughable were it not so lamentable in its consequences to New Zealand) producers. It can only be ascribed to the perfect combination on the one hand and the anticombination on the other which prevails regarding c.i.f. sellers, and which makes New Zealand sellers about as powerful as the proverbial bundle of divided sticks. As to the method of assessment, when the market falls 2d or 3d a stone and a ship arrives in which we will say A, B, and C have mutton (which they have bought at 2s 4d per stone of 81b c.i.f.), after the meat is landed, assessment for inferior quality grading is called for. The c.i.f. sellers are practically limited to market salesmen for choice of assessors and arbitrators to j protect (?) their interests. Therefore to j day A is engaged by the seller to assess against B, while to-morrow B is engaged by the seller to assess against A, and C will come in on some future occasion to arbitrate in case A or B be not available or acceptable. The harmonious pecuniary simplicity of results from the buyers' point of view is therefore perfect, and life runs smoothly and easily for them to the tune of 2d to 3d per stone allowance. Reno backs (an abreviation of merino backs) are the prevailing objections now. It is said by the experts that the wily sheep when alive gives no sign of its Spanish extraction, but in death all is changed." In other words, it is contended that the back of merino mutton shows too much bon,e. As to a remedy, Mr. Mackenzie suggests — " (1) That" all meats be sold f.o.b. in New Zealand to representatives of Home buyers in New Zealand, the risk of damage and fluctuation of market to I be taken by the buyers, as in the case ! now of butter and cheese — if this were adopted we should hear very little, of damage or ' faulty ' claims — or (2) let the meat be landed in cold stores in London and offers taken for the meat as it stands ? let the shipper, insure that total line only, and avoid certain ships of evil repute. He would then obtain the ruling market value, be it high or low. We know that certain questions of finance will arise requiring careful consideration. C.i.f. sales are made with a view of securing a certain definite fixed price, but the price is only adhered to by mauy buyers when the market remains unchanged or hardens, not when it falls. Take our experience in this season's trade under rising and falling markets. During May last many thousands of lambs were sold at from 2s 4d to 2s 8d per stone for delivery. Although the market rose very much before a \\ these lambs were spld— in some cases over 6d per stone — the sellers were kept to their bargain, and did not participate one single penny in the rise, so far as fixed sales were concerned. Now, when the market for mutton has risen 2d or 3d, what do we find ? Assessments for quality are demanded, and ifc is quite an ordinary thing for 2d or 3d a stone to be allowed, a very large proportion of parcels reaching 90 per cent, of loss. So that, although shippers and shippers' agents here think they are doing good business by accepting c.i.f. offers, the bargain in many cases only holds apod when no fall takes place ; .from the Home buyers' point of view, it is ' Heads I win, tails you lose.' "