FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 268, 16 May 1895, Page 2

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir,— l quite agree with you that the meeting held on Fr'day last in the Assembly Kooms had placed before it the most important subject of the day for New Zealanders, and I hoped some of your readers would have ventilated the subject in your columns. I think I have cleaily showa that the State as a State caunot possibly undortake|meat freezing or the erection of cool stores in other couutries. Supposing New Zealand as a State had erected cool stores and de-frosting chambers iv Cape Colony, could we prevent the Parliament of that colony putting on a duty of 2d per 1b of mutton— as the 1 itest cablegram from the Cape indicates they propose to do, — owing to the alarm of the farmers at the imports from Australian colonies ? Clearly it would be most unwise for New Zealand as a Siate to attempt such a Socialistic scheme. Heavy duties levied in the countries in which the stores were eretced, combined with the keen competition of the Austratian colonies and Argentina, might so cripple the industry that prices might recede even lower than at present, and the graziers of New Zealand would be crushed with a heavy yearly burden of £22 10s per 1000 sheep, as per Mr Nathan's scheme. The country would rapidly go to the dogs. Farmers,- let me ask you not to ba led away by sophistical arguments and plausible statements. You know how easy it is to raise, say, £1000 as a special loan for metalling roads, which metal may fee put on to a road that is rarely or never used for wheeled traffic, e.g., Forlong's road, where ratepayers' money has been literally shovelled away — Still the annual rates for this money have to be paid ; the same holda good in reference to the 3d per head tax on sheep. Although opposed to a tax on sheep and the State buying up the freezing works, and every settler I have spoken to on the subject is of the same opinion, 3'et. I think the State might be justified in using some of the surplus revenue by giving, say, £250,---000 per annum for two or three years as a bonus to a bonafide Meat Storing and Defrosting Company, established in England for the purpose of selling New Zealand meat only. Such bonus to be given only on certain conditions clearly laid down by the Government. The directors of such a company, being on the spot and their capital at stake, would use every endeavor to make the company a success, and might be powerful enough to prevent the English Government putting on a tax aa the Cape Colony proposes to do. They could say to the people at Home, New Zealand buys your cotton, woollen and silk goods, therefore we mnat use their mutton in return. But there are other markets— lndia, China, and Japan — for our mutton, and in the latter country for some of our wool. Companies in these countries might also be subsidised by th« Government. This, I respectfully submit to the public, is the only legitimate monetary way in which our State as a State can foster the staple industries of the colony. It must be borae in mind that the strikes at Home have driven manufacturers t.i erect their cotton mills in Bombay and Bengal, wheie labor is cheaper, to ti ikes drove the flax mills (about thirty) cub of Ltecb to Franc© and Belgium. In 1894, sixty seven Lancashire mills returned . losses of £410,000, whereas the millsg n Hiogo (Japan) were declaring dividends of seventeen per cent ; for the Japanesse have learned to weave as well as the English. The value of England's output of cotton goods has fallen nearly £20,---000,000 since 1893. "Similar figures could be given as to jute, coal, tin and other industries." These strikes havej reduced the purchasing power of the working classes. The Japanese ere long will require both mutton and wool. Are our Statesmen and merchant&alive to this matter"? Our trade with Australia, Tasmania, India, Ceylon, and Japan, is increasing, vide Year Book, 1894. There is the keen competition of Argentina to be considered, which no "conference of representative sheep farmers of this colony " can grasp. Our Government, through their Agent-General and by means of a Select Committee of the House, may be able to arrive at sound and definite conclusions. This country, Argentina, increased her supply of mutton to England from 17,165 carcases in 1888 to 1,373,723 carcases in 1893. We can't light her and kill her sheep and destroy her freezing works. Can we beat her in the quality of our mutton and live stock ? Everybody says we can, then let us get the English capita* list, aided by a subsidy from our Government, to do it. If we don't overbreed, and if we can establish cool stores and defrosting chambers in England and elsewhere, and our live stock trade is fostered, the present dark cloud hanging over New Zealand will soon be dispersed, and we shall again enjoy the sunshine of prosperity. I am, etc., George Wilks ( Feikling, May 14th, 1895.