EXPORT OF FROZEN MEAT.

Evening Star, Issue 5608, 28 February 1881, Page 4

EXPORT OF FROZEN MEAT.

TO THS KDITOE.

SIR,—On reading the last lice of your leader in Saturday's issue, 1 came to the conclusion that you had not given the queation that due consideration which it dt server-, inasmuch as ii is a New Z; aland question not to send meat out of New Zsaland, but to bring the consumers of that article to the place whera it ia grown. Reverse the present proposal, and instead of running the risk and heavy expense in sending meat Home, encourage such manufactures and productions here as will bring tte consumers to New Zealand. I would warn the public not to have anything to do with this scheme, but to leave it entirely to be borne by those who will alone benefit by it, if it Bhould prove

successful, which I very much doubt on the following grounds. You, »ir, must have noticed that all shipments made Home have been timed to arrive tkera in the heart of winter, which means tk*t« foeie i* no sale for frczm me*% in the wumeier. To arrive ia Deoomeer «w Jaauery it atuet needs be kiileol utd akipoee! from kere isi S ptaos*ib#r ami Oc l ob«r. New tkese meatks are tkrougkoatN.Z. tk« raeatb* when fat stook ere at ita higkest T»l*e. Is the export moaat »• raise, tke price of meet duri»g ear winter moeths, wbieh i« 1878 roae a* high as 45e per 1001k I The last winter is no oriterion, for " tke oldest i»habita*t" aorer exs*rie»ceel wish a one before. Auefralia, and more eepeomlly New Se»th Wales aed Q«e«ele*d, bei»g 80 sMch nearer the Equator, have an oilier sp«*g, aad in the aWve menths of September a*d Ootober fat stock are there as okeap as any other.

In Germany, wheal the bttckers have supplied their customers in the wiater, ail most is carried i»to cellars to keep it from freeuieg, tkey well ks*wing by experience th»t the tisanes are destroyed when fre zoa a»d the meet beocrae unsalable. As regards the darker color of the A*atr»lian meat, it is caused by the cattle in most cases being sfcervei, **d exalted; but the oattie killed in the iaterior, where p&ddccks for re«»i»g are procurable, are as healthy as those in New Zealand. Moreover, I contend that the prices of cattle and sheep in New Z aland are not so low but wbat they pay the squatter bandsomaly; but they are never satisfied. To illustrate that the above is indisputable, I beg to inform you and the public that a decent well-grown steer in store condition is worth L 5, and in fat condition L 7. You cannotbuy agood merino store ewe for It a»than 63, and a cross-bred for less than 8s; add to this the price of the fleece and a lamb, and you have 14a for the former and 19s for the Utter; and, I maintain, any grazi&r or squatter who oannot make thia pay had better make room for those who can. Why, sir, at the present time every old broken-mouthed ewe is bought up eagerly, and euch is the scarcity of sbeck that there is very little margin between the price of stores and the price of fat, and the grazier or fattener haß nothing but the increase of weight of carcae or trouble. When the tinning of meat wa» at its best In Australia the price of stock rose to rapidly that the equattera lost very heavily by this export; but what they lost the Australian public had to pay. Should you have any doubt of tko above figures btirg correct, I will with pleifcure show you invoices. This is written solely the benefit of the public of Oiago in particular and New Zealand in general.—l am, etc., A. D.