The Star.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7374, 28 January 1902, Page 2

The Star.

Delivered every Gveaing b,y 6 o'clock iv Hawern, Manaia, Normauby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangutoki, Kaponga, Awatuuu, Opunake, Otakeho, Kunutalii, Altou, Hurleyville, Patea and Waverle.v.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28.

THE SOUTH AFBICAN CONTRACT—A FRESH VIEW.

Interviewed by a Wellington Post reporter, Mr Dilnot Madden, manager of the Wellington Meat Export Company, put forward a view of the South African meat trade which we do not remember having previously heard of. He takes up.the position that New Zealand cannot supply the South African market, and it would be inadvisable for her to do so if she could. We quote, practically in full, his reasons for this opinion. For instance, on the question of ability to supply, he stated that during the last half year " the quantity of frozen beef afloat from Australia to South Africa ranged from 50,000 to a maximum of nearly 100,000 quarters from Queensland alone. New South Wales and Victoria shipped a few thousands, and the average quantity afloat would roughly be about half of Queensland's maximum. .New Zealand, during the same time, sent only one considerable shipment to' South Africa — 8000 quarters. The maximum quantity of beef afloat from New Zealand to tha United Kingdom was 21,000 quarters, and the average about that figure; afloat from Argentina to Bouth Africa, apparently nil ; afloat from Argentina to Great Britain, maximum 60,000 quarters, average about half." These figures tend to show, said Mr Siadden, that our 10,000 quarters or so of beef, if taken from the London and put into the South African market, would be a bagatelle against what Argentina does and can Bupplj. Judging by the shipment figures of Australia, the present supplier, there is over three times as much demand in South Africa for frozen beef as for frozen mutton. The largest shipment of Australian mutton afloat for South Africa during the halfyear wag 89,000 carcases, and the avorage was probably less than half; Argentina and New Zealand, apparently nil. On the question of the desirability of New Zealand catering for the South African trade, Mr bladden gave an unqualified negative. Bia objection to the whole South African market is fundamental. "It is," the FoHt reporter relates, " thai; New Zealand meat, which bears high labor chargep, stands on its quality, and South Africa is a cheap market. He does not think that, after tbe prafent emergency has passed, South Africa will develop a demand for quality, and he does not think that wo should leave the quality market in London for the cheap one at the Cape. The chief aid which the African market will bring will be by relieving the London market of inferior grade meat that tends at Home to depress the whole scale of prices. Why should the quality meat follow the inferior to Africa, and come down to one price ? This colony cannot hope to compete with Australia and Argentina in turning out a large quantity of meat of a lower grade. Our limited area and the cost of labour prevent that, and our only hope is to command highest values in the quality market." We shall await with some interest a reply to this certainly novel view of the situation.