CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XIX, Issue 3293, 5 December 1892, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

To tke Editor of the Star.

Sir, — Referring back to the summary of the week's news in your is6ue of Friday, September 23rd, in which the then recent cable from the Argentine Republic, speak* ing of the collapse of the meat trade of that country owing to the sadden withdrawal of the Government bounty or subsidy so long given to meat exporters and shipping companies, was fally dealt with, since that period the cable referred to has lacked confirmation. It appears, however, that there can have been no foundation for the report, as ever since that time advices from London seem to show that the meat export trade from that country is going on as steadily as ever; and to confirm this comes tke news that Messrs. Kelson Bros, (of Dowgate Hill, London), the kings of the New Zealand frozen mutton, are dissatisfied with the present state of things, and are urging the necessity of putting an import duty of 4d per carcase on mutton to enable exporters to compete with and annihilate the Argentine trade. Whether the tax is to be levied on all classes of frozen mutton, or simply upon Argentine production, is not made clear, but I shall take it that the last named is what is intended. If such be the case, although very pleasant news to onr shippers, it seems to be a very, very unjust measure to agitate for, and one that, in my opinion, will meet with very little sympathy at Home. Well may the public ask, if imported meat from the Eiver Plate is to be subject to taxation, why not chilled beef from America or meat from the Australian colonies, and while we are about it, go a step further and say, if foreign meat is to be taxed why not tax the large supplies of bacon, butter, and cheese that come pouring into London, Liverpool, and our other large seaport towns daily from the different foreign centres, and thus give farmers at Home a chanob of competiog with this kind of prodnce. No, Ido not think the Home Government will ever tax foreign pro« visions, which means bo muoh to its poorer classes, so that the remedy must be lookei for on this side of the water. It is evident that the Australian Government are determined to foster the meat industry and to put its exporters on the same footing as compeers in the River Plate by levying a stock tax in the country, which tax is to go towards subsidising the various freezing and shipping companies so as to enable exporters to get their meat frozen and sent Home at such a low cost as will admit of their selling it at proportionately low rates (if higher ones are not obtainable) and yet make a profit. This seems to me to be a very good hint for our New Zealand Government, and I firmly believe that if it were adopted here onr meat trade, instead of languishing as it is at the present time, would ooce more spring into life and flourish. Let a fair tax be levied upon every stock-owner, whether large or small, and the Bum collected be properly distributed amongst freezing and shipping companies; then the heavy expenses now borne by the shipper himself would be greatly ameliorated, and he could afford to have his meat sold at Home at the present ruling rates, or even a shade lower, and yet nett a profit. I would even go further, and say that if this were carried oat as I have suggested, in a very short time New Zealand meat'Bhipper.B would have the trade very much in their own hande, for, whilßt they are now obliged, with all their heavy charges, to enter into competition with low-priced Australian and Eiver Plate mutton, if they were placed upon the same footiog as the two countries named they must inevitably carry all before them, for New Zealand meat stands at the present time paramount to all other, and they therefore offer butchers in the Old Country quality combined with oheapness, which their rivals would find it bard to do. It is certain that settlers cannot keep on exporting meat from here in the face of the low prices ruling at Home (and which do not show any signs of mending) and be suffering continual losses, and yet, if our meat trade drops through, what will be the result ? Fat stock will accumulate, prices will drop, and so forth, and then i things will be worse than ever. Doubtless there may be no immediate prospect of this happening, even'if the meat trade were in a large measnre abandoned, but it will surely oome before very long, when stock begins to accumulate, and thisis what we have to guard against and set right. Before closing this letter, I wonld like to refer to the paragraph I saw in the newspaper in whioh an enterprising Australian firm are throwing out " feelers " relative to the establishment of a frozen meat dep6t at Suez. Surely this is worth the consideration of New Zealand as well as Australian merobants, and ought to be well taken np, for it is only expressing a long.felt want, whioh is a new outlet for our meat. The Eiver Plato meat companies have, I know, tried to find fresh markets for their produce on the European continent, having opened stores at Havre, Paris, and Antwerp, and, thongh they have hitherto met with indifferent sucoess, they are to be warmly commended for the effort. If they have done so muoh, why should not Australian and New Zealand merchants seek outlets at different ports in the Bed Sea and Mediterranean, which are after all on their way home or can be made so ? and why not again try India ? I believe myself that there might be a large trade done with this country it only syndicates could be induced to star cold stores at Calcutta, Bombay, and other Indian seaports* I remember my brother saying to me about six years ago in London, just after he had returned from a long residence in Calcutta, that he only wished they bad frozen meat out there, for when they ordered any mutton goat's flesh was invariably palmed of[ on them, and it was difficult to get the genuine article, but if mutton was imported frozen there could be no such trouble, and that residents would welcome the obange. In conclusion, I would say that if people interested in this important trade of our colony jpould only combine together, call pnblic meetings, and go into the matter thoroughly, things which seem impossible to accomplish would become muoh easier, and would eventually lead to greater prosperity in this country. — I am, &c, Rbadeb. [ADVERTISKMRriT.] • • , (THE HOETICULTUBAL IHOW.' 1 Jb the Editor of the Staff Sir,— .Kindly allow me a smatf space in your valuable paper to refer tjo the unfair judja'ng in tfte. recent competition^or the bflsnpottage flower and vegetable J»arden, the trst prize for'^biobas honesty due to me.l Now, I wilT^Cjuallenge arivone in Hawro, for whae tn»v like ; Se competitfcn to beJor quantity ancCquality, and-lp be divided by poiotg. ily challengewrilLro open for a weekr-Jam, &0., Ha*oera, sth December. V^**

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