OUR WOOL AND FROZEN MEAT IN LONDON.

Evening Star, Issue 12882, 3 August 1906, Page 4

OUR WOOL AND FROZEN MEAT IN LONDON.

AN EXPORTER'S HOPEFUL FORECAST. Mr Ernest T. Matson, of the well-known Christchurch exporting firm, having spent the last eighteen months in touring the world, has something to say concerning the wool and frozen meat tracie, which he has been specially studying. To an interviewer in Australia he said: " the frozen meat tTade during 1905 was most unsatisfactory, both to exporters and consumers." " What was the cause of this ' unsatisfactory' state of affairs?" " English companies competing against colonial in the purchase of supplies, and thus causing a rise of prices. We had to pay such big prices in Australia and New Zealand that we exporters really preferred to ship on owners' account." " Have the consignments arrived in good condition?" "Yes. The manner of putting up the consignments cannot be improved for tne English markets, but the multiplicity of brands is a great drawback.' " What remedy do ■ you suggest?"— "That I must leave others to settle. Some of the brands do not come up to tue quality expected of them. Canterbury mutton, for instance, had not been equal in quality to that of previous years. Probably this was due to the shortage of breeding ewes in the South Island, which ren dered it necessary for graziers to breed from North Island ewes, and thus obtain inferior lambs. The North Island shipments have themselves increased in volume lately, and this is possibly another explanation of the deterioration. New Zealand's reputation has consequently suffered/ at Home, and the competition of the Argentine has become relatively more serious. Tho closer proximity of the Argentine ports to the English markets enables the suppliers of that country to put their goods on the market at smaller cost and with less deterioration in transit. The quality of Argentine mutton is not to be despised, and is still improving. I anticipate that in five years' time the Argentine will be a big thorn in the side of New Zealand and Australia. They have seven large factories in operation there, and their chilled beef exports during the last twelve months have been in great demand." "In that particular branch they have the advantage over Australasia?"—" Yes. In chilled meat they are likely to be ahead of us for a long time to com© owing to their shorter time in transit."

In reference to frozen meat Mr Matson observed : "In regard to the size of lambs best suited for the trade, I have been rather amused when fanners have come to mo and said their factories complained that their teg lambs were tod large. It is so obvious that large lambs pay the fanner better than small."

"What have you to sav of the wool trade?"—" Well, I had abui.xlant opportunities of studying the wool trade both at the Exchange and on the wool floors at Brad ford, and among the wool men generally. The last season has, of course, been again a remarkably good year for the producers, and the colonials have greatly benefited." "To what do you attribute this?"—"To" America, France, and other countries running short. In fact, Bradford, when I was there last December, had no surplus at all, and was doing a hand-to-mouth buy ness, owing to the keen competition of American and other foreign manufacturers, who drew heavily on our consignments. I'here was therefore feverish competition for every bale that arrived." "What are the prospects for the future?"—" Well, that is always difficult to say in the wool trade; but so far as one can judge so long beforehand there s-ems every likelihood that the market will be firm for all grades of wool for the next twelve months. It is the general opinion on the Exchange that there is a firm time ahead.

I Mr Matson's travels have firmly con-. | vinced him that there is no finer tract of land in the world than Australasia, and »°r. j l *,. count, T tha n Now Zealand. Canada, he said, "in spite of its big | stream of immigrants, is too cold in its winters to be' altogether suitable for either agriculture or sheep-raising. It is oertamly a fine cattle country, and they get some big crops of wheat when tne season is warm. But the bulk of the people now going out are largely without capital or experience, and encounter a very trying time in passing through their first winter! thousands ups>n thousands arc now regretting that they ever went there. Next to Australasia, the Argentine Republic is the best country for settlement, and in a few years' tune its exports will be running perhaps, on an equal footing with those Sf 'our own continent. The recent American tinned meat exposures will no doubt to some extent prejudice consumers against Argentine meat, as against all mea's American, and so for a time arrest the advance; but in the end they are bound to come to the front."

Mr Matson expects to reach Christchurch in beptember.