AUSTRALIAN MEAT AT THE CAPE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 70454, 3 October 1900, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN MEAT AT THE CAPE.

In the Cape House of Assembly on August 21st last, Mr A. J. Fuller asked the Government what loss the Government had sustained owing to the suspension of the duty on meat, and to what extent, if any, the consumers had benefited by such suspension ? In reply, Sir Gordon Sprigg said "that the loss in revenue since November last, when the duty was suspended, was £85,000. He would think that the consumer had benefited to the extent that the revenue had lost. On the 15fh of November the price of mutton ranged from 6Jd to 9d per lb. and the price of beef ranged from s£d to lid. The present price of mutton ranged from 4^d to 7d, as contrasted with 6£d and 9d. The present price of beef ranged from 4£d to 9d, as contrasted with sid and lid. He therefore thought that it must be quite clear to the House that the consumer had substantially benefited by the suspension of the duty." It is denied by many outside the Gape Parliament that the consumer has benefited to the extent he should have done when the price paid wholesale for Australian and Now Zealand meat is considered, but if the figures given by the Cape Premier are reliable, and they remained unchallenged throughout the debate, there is no doubt that the importation of frozen meat has been a considerable boon to dwellers in towns in the Cape Colony. As an effort to further increase that benefit, and also assist the New Zea- j land producer, we communicated with Mr Q. Hutchison .subsequent to his return from South Africa and prior to his recent departure. We suggested that Mr Hutchison should take with him to South Africa credentials, accrediting him as representative of the chief freezing works in New Zealand, and that he should, thus armed, make arrangements with the people at the Cape who in the Cape Times had notified that they were willing' to embark capital in the attempt! to bring- the Cape consumer into closer touch with the New Zealand producer. In reply, we were told that the subject had received great attention from Mr Hutchison when in South Africa, but that at present nothing could be done on account of the monopoly of the oold storage establishments, and, secondly, in consequence of the superior enterprise of the Australian exporters, who had established themselves in the South African markets. However, he had the subject ever in his mind, and advantage would be taken of every opportunity. But,' from the Cape Times we have quoted above, we gather i that there is much opposition to the suspension of the meat duties. We cannot but say that, even at the lower prices obtaining now, it is a poor advertisement for the South African colonies that they cannot compete with .sheep farmers and cattle raisers who live thousands of miles over the sea. When the prices obtained by the Now Zealand grower are considered, and it is noticed that even with those prices frozen meat is one of the factors in thfe prosperity the colony enjoys, and then we turn to the high prices at the Cape, which the Cape men think are not high enough to pay, the result is a deadly | warning against any New Zealand farmer changing his location, and emigrating to the Cape. Wo know that tho majority in the Parliament of that colony is Dutch, and that the present progressive Ministry is kept in office by a section of Dutch seceders from the Dutch Opposition. One of that Dutch Opposition, Mr J. C. Moltino, thus spoke, in the debate : — " The Treasurer-General had told them that the revenue had suffered to the extent of £85,000 owing to the suspension of the meat duties, and a sum of £300,000 had gone out of the colony into Australia and New Zealand, which should hare gone into the pockets of the farmers of this country. For that £300,000 they t got nothing back. In any case, there ' bad not been that benefit to thejsoo.

sumer whioh they had been led to believe would accrue as a result of the suspension of the duties. The price of meat had not gone down proportionately." Considering that the gentleman pleads that the £300,000 should have gone into the pockets of the farmer, it does not appear that he wants a reduction in the price of meat for the good of the greater number, but the maintenance of a still higher price by a return to the meat duties for the benefit of the Opposition which cheers him. But there is one part of the gentleman's speech which we should do well to consider, and which contains matter too little considered in our Koreroreum: " There had been all over the world a great decline in prices. They heard from all parts of the world that the great era of prosperity that culminated towards the end of 1899 was on the down grade. As regards wool, there had been a fall of fully half in the value of the wool since the beginning of the year, an unprecedented state of things." That is a matter which affects us equally with the Cape, but what we would draw attention to is (bat we must expect no favor from the Dutch majority on account of the superior quality of our meat, or its cheapness, ' and as regards our 'assistance in arms, that, judging from the tone of the Cape Dutch in the debates, would militate against us.