FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 76, 31 March 1934, Page 9

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FROM " THE POST "

FROZEN MEAT TRADE

"While it is satisfactory to learn by recent mails that the retail trade in New Zealand mutton is at last beginning to make substantial progress in England, it is clear that inueh more

.vet remains to be done," remarks "The Post"- of this date fifty years ago. "It seems excessively hard on the colonial producer that he should be forced to accept od or 5Jd per lb for his frozen meat delivered in London, out of which has to conic all the expense of breeding, killing, freezing, shipping, and delivery in London, when the enterprising butcher who buys up the meat at od or so sells it at Is or Is 3d as prime English mutton. There is an enormous margin of profit shown here, and the New Zealand producer ought to. obtain a share of it. Instead of this, he receives little if anything over cost price, and has the mortification of seeing a profit of 100 per cent. . or thereabouts shared by the acute first purchasers at Home, who, while reaping a golden harvest from, their surreptitious transaction in New Zealand frozen meat, are careful to abuse the article freely as sodden, tasteless, and gravyless. The establishment of retail depots in different , parts of the Home country for the sale of New Zealand meat is a step in the right direction, but much more needs .to be done yet. The producers and shippers, of meat will have to take united and vigorous action if they do not desire to see themselves constantly, done out of their fair profits. The English butchers have so well learned the lesson of turning the trade to their own immense advantage that no half measures will suffice to protect the interests of the New Zealand exporters. The only course open to the latter is to sink all rivalries, .iealousies, and minor differences, and to continue heartily towards providing a- more satisfactory method of effecting the disposal of their exported meat. Unless this is done with promptness, energy, and, determination^ there is no little danger that a largo- and most promising now industry may be prematurely stifled." THREATENED WATER FAMINE. "It is not pleasant for the "Wellington citizens to be brought face to face once more with a menaced water fam,-, inc. The disagreeable experience of two years ago is still very fresh in the memory .of those who were sufferers from the severe and protracted inconvenience then occasioned by the shortness of supply, and its threatened occurrence cannot but be viewed with feelings of the most lively apprehension. Everyone fondly hoped that we had seen the last of these Wellington water famines. Last year there, was no scarcity at all, and it was anticipated that the new supply from Wainui-o-mata would be available early in the current year. • ■ After the heavy expense that the. city had been put to in procuring this additional supply, it was natural to think that all'further risk of scarcity had been effectually averted: But the fates have ruled otherwise. The frequent floods of an unprecedented wet spring and summer have so seriously impeded and damaged the work that it cannot possibly be of any service this season. People, however, consoled themselves with the reflection that the same excess of rain which, had hindered the Wainui work would at least have so abundantly replenished the old reservoirs and the springs forming the sources of the streams by which they are fed, as to avert all risk of the regular supply running short. Such was the general hope and expectation, but a two months' drought hasialready diminished the quantity of water;in the main storage basin by fully'one^half, and according to the present estimate the supply will be exhausted in another fortnight at, the present rate of consumption. The imperative need of great care and economy in husbanding our supply ought therefore to be manifest. Of course rain come, but the chances are against: it. In the year before last the reservoir was empty untirthe end of June,, and. we shall not be safein counting upqli'any abundant rainfall.for some three months. We hope that Wellington: citizens will loyally back up the authorities in-carrying out' rigid water economy, during the next month, or two; while at the. same time it behoves those authorities to use every care towards making the inconvenience of a restricted supply fall as lightly as possible on the public." A WAIRARAPA ELOPEMENT. "A somewhat sensational elopement is reported from the Wairarapa. It appears that a young remittance man, formerly master at the Native school, who had married a chief's daughter, has for some time been converting the property which came with his wife into cash. A few weeks' ago he received £350 from Home, and with this and the other cash he went to Wellington and laid siege to the heart of the wife of a groom. A Masterton tradesman, however, succeeded in locating him and obtained satisfaction foi; a debt of £200. This induced quite a deputation of other tradesmen to endeavour to find the erring one, but before they could do so he started off with his new 'wife' in a carriage and pair en route for Napier via Masterton. Nothing occurred to mar the pleasure of the fugitives till the railway bridge; at Kaiwarra was reached. Here the bereaved groom and a constable, with two stalwart assistants, tried to waylay -the runaways, but a 'cutting' reproof from the driver's whip compelled them to release the reins, and the lady; waving a handkerchief, over her shoulder,- drove away from the despairing view- of Her half-desperate husband. At Featherston they had tea and changed horses, but in the meantime somebody had been good enough to apprise -the bereaved and much wronged M:iori wjfe of the escapade. When the pair arrived in Masterton, an unexpected reception awaited the new 'wife,' for the Maori lady leaped into her arms and promptly buriad her hands in the othev one's hair, giving her a slight taste of the exquisite bliss i which an American realises at the hand I of a sealpihg Indian/ Loud screams naturally ensued, so the gentlenfan of the play, bowled his shut fist against the eye of the woman he had vowed, to cherish till death with such precision as to knock her down and nearly closo hor orbit. In the scuffle and uproar that followed, the eloping couple faded from view, and whither they have gone or where they arc concealed is now the problem to bo solved." SIR WILLIAM JEEVOIS. "The intelligence conveyed in today's cable messages that we are not yet to be. deprived of our present Governor (Sir William Jervois) for the. benefit of Victoria will be received with general satisfaction. We should, havo been very sorry indeed to lose Sir William Jervois, who, even in the short time that lie has been here, has won for himself high popularity and esteem. It has long been well known that Victoria was intensely anxious to secure his Excellency as successor to Lord Jsormanby, and it is notorious that all possible influence has been used at Home, since the Marquis's resignation was made public, towards bringing this about. Fortunately, it appears to havo been used in vain, and we hopg Sir William Jervois will find himself able to spend his full term in pleasant sojourn among us. Without employing any language of fulsome compliment, which would be as distasteful to his Excellency as its utterance would be to ourselves, we may say with all sincerity and with the greatest certainty that our sentiments will be heartily echoed throughout the colony."