The Star. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1906. MEAT EXPORT TRADE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LI, Issue 9139, 11 July 1906, Page 4

The Star.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1906. MEAT EXPORT TRADE.

Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock in Hawer* Manaia, Normanby, Okaiana, Eltham, Mangatobi, Kaponga, Awattma, Opunake, Otakebo. Manntahi, Alton, Hurleyvifle, Patea, and Waverley.

One day last week we published a telegram from Dunedin giving a resume of certain recommendations mad© by Mr GUrut^ Chief Government Veterinarian, in connection with the meat export trade. From more extended newspaper reports now to hand we notice that Mr Gilruth dealt vigorously with his subject. His address on the whole was not calculated to allay any fears which might exist in connection with the industry. With regard to the official supervision it was shown that the first advances for Government inspection of slaughtered stock came from the meat companies themselves. Dealing with the quality of the exported article the Chief Veterinarian said that "uo to the period following the commencement of the South African war no inferior meat was exported from the colony in a frozen condition, tially owing to the desire of the companies to export the best and partially owing to tine fact that there was but little market for inferior material. As a consequence of Ihe war, however, a trade" in inferior stuff was developed with South. Africa, it being generally understood that the requirements of that trade were a lean, inferior class of meat. Those who were dealing with, the examination of meat for export knew that there was a danger to the name of the colony in the export of such meat. So long as it only got to South Africa there was little fear of bad results, but provided it was diverted to the Home market a bad effect was anticipated. That this had actually occurred was proved by the condemnation on account of poverty of condition of a number of carcases out of one consignment, originally intended for South Africa, passed by the inspector on, that assumption, and bearing the endorsement of graders to the effect that they were going to South Africa, they being diverted nltd mately to London." The danger to which Mr Gilruth alluded needs no demonstration; it is manifest that if inferior stuff intended for South Africa found its way

to a market where a reputation for high quality has already been established, that reputation would at once be seriously discredited. Apart from the carcases ex ported Mr Gilruth explained that "during the past few years, owing to the high prices of meat in the British market, another trade has more or less been established — viz., the trade in boned beef. The class of stock from which the meat is pro-

cured consists, generally speaking, of bulls, old cows, old stage, and young stock, the flesh of which can neither be- classed as veal nor beef. During three months of , this year, as an example of the extent to which this trade has been developed, over ; 7000 cattle have been slaughtered for boning. Now, this meat is placed into boxes, after removal of the bones, frozen, and shipped to the Old Country, generally to Glasgow and northern ports. It has been r generally understood that its destination was for the propose of being made into sausageSj meat pies, and small goods generi ally, but we have reason to believe that a considerable portion of it is sold to the [ poorer classes to-be cooked in the ordinary way. That this meat is far from being of the best quality is undoubted. Nearly 3 per cent, has been condemned at the works on account of disease, as against half that percentage in other cattle killed for freezing and local consumption. In addition to this, over 2 per cent, has been condemned as being too emaciated, and otherwise unfit for use as human food at the time of slaughter. This, however, does not give a true idea of th« kind of stock slaughteied, for at a number of the works all the poorest — the manifestly unsuitable ones — are drafted out and are killed for their manurial value. Tho figures of the Dunedin abattoirs show the true^ aspect of the case. Out of 2300 killed for this purpose, 90 were condemned for emaciation alone." There is something numorous in the suggestion that it was thought this meat was intended for ''sai'sage*. meat pies and small goods generally." It seems ' to us that it doesn't matter much whether the stuff was encased in a sausage skin or not, except that presumably it would not then be sold as New Zealand produce. Mr Giiruth evidently regards the boned meat trade aa being as likely to injure an important business as the export of the scraggy stock. He said : "It may seem that the export of such an enormous, number of cattle, even after the meat is boned, i is too great an industry to interfere with ; j but when it is considered that tihese are en an iiverage 'hot -worth £3" per head — proved by the fact that it is rare that we "avV asked to pay compensation for those that ar<» condemned—rthe; value of the trade "to the farmer" is seen to- bo comparatively small. As against this there is the possibility of it doing serious damage to oox other trade in export* meat, which amounts ,to nearly £3,000.000 per annum. . . . Is' "ft a." wiso thing to risk % great industry of nearly £5,000,000 a year on ac count of this small and precarious trade? T v questi6ti it very 'much." The speaker proceeded to show that some companies do not' 1 brand -'oeitaur 'consignments witih tfte»r names because of tho inferiority of t<he quality, whilst at the same time the meat bears the Government tag. In this connection he said that at the oresent lime &U the meat exported has to bear the Govornmerifstanip on the label that it is free of disease and fit for human consumption, accompanied by the signature"of the inspeqt&ig veterinarian. This stamp only guafiin'tee's "health, and has nothing to do with quality. But, rightly or wrongly, there is no., doubt that the public generally,accept f 'such a Government stamp as being indicative to son?e extent also of quality, and there is 'no reason why it should not be so. The summary of Mr Oilruth's recommendations !has already be«»n published. Amongst them was the proposed indelible branding of New Zealand meat. ' The question whether this would b© for the benefit of the industry has often been debated^ but no better argument in favor of the proposal has been put forward than Mr Gilruth's remark that if the system had been in force to-day we could have profited by the Chicago revelations, by advertising tJw undeniable quality of our meat throughout Great Britain, whereas at present there is no guarantee that New Zealand labels are hot being used to further the sale of mbbish that would never be frozen in New Zealand.