OUR MEAT AT HOME

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 102, 27 October 1932, Page 12

OUR MEAT AT HOME

ADVICE TO EXPORTERS

ADVANTAGE OF- SMALLER

CARCASS

(By Teleuraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

. AUCKLAND, This Day. "When I left London the best lamb was selling at 54d per lb, and I received a wireless message a day or two ago stating that the price had dropped to 4Jd for best down to 3id for seconds," said Mr. G. H. Michie" (of Miehie and White, Ltd.), a Smithfield meat importer, who arrived by the Kangitiki from London this morning. "We had a rise in price when the season opened last year," he said, "but there was a crash when heavy shipments from Australia started to arrive."

He said he was not conversant with events since he had left England as far as Ottawa, was concerned. During the Conference ,and until the time he left England, no thing had been made known in Britain as to the decisions, publication having "been withheld until Parliament considered the agreements. |'My opinion is that if Britain restricts importations from. Patagonia and Argentine it will be to the benefit of the Dominion, " he said. "If New Zealand goes on increasing hoi- production the tendency must be to reduce prices. Industrial England has been having a bad time, and the housewife has only a limited amount, perhaps 2s or 2s "6d, to spend on her joint, and for that reason^ the small carcass is a good proposition for the retail butcher. Argentine lambs weighing from 141b to 161b have been tried out recently with good results from the selling angle, but they have been mostly skin and bone, we get a certain quantity of lambs from New Zealand weighing about 26!b, and this type of carcass should be sent forward in larger numbers, because smaller joints may be cut to suit the pocket of the working classes. It must not be on the Argentine principle, however, and exporters must do nothing that will injure in any way New Zealand's great reputation for quality. There has been talk in recent times, both by importers and by the New Zealand Meat Control Board, of introducing third-class quality lamb; this would be a mistake."

Discussing the beef parket, Mr. Michie spoke rather disparagingly of the New Zealand product; referring to the class slaughtered for, export aa being more or less scavenger beef. Mr. Michie is the son of Mr. A. Michie, who retired from the position of general manager of the Ban,k of New Zealand in 1906. The latter is still a director of the bank in London, and a member of the directorate of the New Zealand Shipping Company and of the Union Steam Ship Company.

) Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, wanted a new church organ, -which -v\-ould cost £1000, but instead of asking for £1000 the churchwardens asked for farthings. The last report was that £260 Ss 4d has been collected in farthing?, a little more than a_quarter of the cost of. the-organ.