Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1916. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Nelson Evening Mail, 8 March 1916, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1916. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

FOR 28 years the annual review of the frozen meat "trade compiled, by Messrs W. "Weddel and Col has been oj very great interest, but the report for 1915, whic hhas recently" come to 'hand,, is of outstanding- importance/in that 1915 ~was an altogether -abnormal year, not so ■much, it> is explained, in respect of the volume of importations, or the range of prices, or the opening iip of new markets- an-d-new'sfources of supply, although these -were 'all notewor-fhyi, as because" practically the whole trade,' almost alone ■amongst the trades .of the was taken out of commercial- hands .and put under official centra}. ' The importance of frozen meat in connection with, the conduct of the great 'war was mude abundantly ,manifest ; n r th.e course of 1914, bub it -\vas~nof, .-until the beginning of 1915 that the British Govemmenit took the-steps necessary to seoure what „<vas practically -complete control of the indus-'' try at all stages. Th'e requisitioning of -the outputs of the .{/reezing works of Australia* Zealand, ,'by Jagreament -with" the' Australasian Governmenfts, on terms more or less acceptable to th e producers, secured" the main, supplies -produced within 'the British Eriv . pire j whale the simple expedient of- commandeering-;- the British % -refrigerated mercantile 'marine - effectually secured control of the foreign of South" America, and/ indirectly America land' all- outside 'sources. • important ",siteps, far-reaching-f in- their consequences, vvere'takeni with a"view to r necessary "supplies, not only for the" British' Anny jand: .general public, but aJso ; for the French Armj; and, Jatterly," for ~ the'; v/The whole % trade entirely ' altered arid controlled "by the antharit-es without any consideration of'loss or profit: Even although an appreciably; larger' amount of refrigera'bed tonnage v -than in 1914 was . available for : the..traTispt.it.oi Bseafc'from all sources the course of the year, it becomes'a matter .'for ; congratulation; tne report 1 continues, to fend," -when due allowance' is made for the delivery of a large number of-cargoes to the, Continent, and' for the detention of- steamers from time to Ifime on transport servicp, that the total imports into Great Britain were maintained at"" near the level of the pre-, vious year. -"'''' , t The' 'Continent playei * a ' -very much more important part than 'usual in "the 'year's'trade,-as "the quantities directed to France and 'ltaly, are estimaJbed,to have amounted to over 150,000 tons, against ah estimated total of s only 26,210 tons in 1914, inasmuch as almost the, whole of this meat was'used lot -tl)e armies on active service, it is' cnanifest that frozen meat-must have secured a first class advertisement, not only in France and Italy,' -but in coun'tTaes where hitherto it had .been 'practically un'known. In France, the' ' increased consumption by the Army was anet to a large extent by 1 the Introduction of these entirely new supplies of frozen meat, -with the result that values of French home-grown meat rose but little above normal; .while in Britain, the importation of meat being barely mainstained, and the home supplies showing no great expansion', the increased Army consumption 'naturally brought about an important advance dn values. On !the whole, therefore, comparing 1915 with 1914, the civil population in France was ia a better position 'than that of. the ■TJni'ted Kingdom, through being permitted lo use British ships to supplement their home supply by importing frozen meat for the Army from, Australia, ,South" and JSforth 'America, Canada, Madagascar,, Brazil, t s tc. - , ' '' A.' considerable subsidiary to the sup'plyiilg of army requirsmehts, which also' influenced- -the" Government in - taking

l" " " - < , ' control of .the trade,- itjjief review goes on to point out, wasjthejdesirei to regulate' sales in such a. way that prices, i£ advanced at all, would ~not 'be unduly raised to the general public In view, however, of the reduction in the Itotal supply of home and imported meats available, coupled with the increased, consumption an th Q army, and a strong- civilian demand, it was impossible fully to attain this object. As a simple matter of- fact/ soon after the Government took over supplies, bu'fc not- nfecessardly :n consequence .thereof, wholesale prices advanced materially; and the 1915 averago at Smithfield was about 30 per cent, higher than t#e 1914 Whereas, in 1914, retailers generally had a very -unprofitable year, on account o"f the difficult}- they experienced in raising prices to a level commensurate with wholesale values, their position, in 1915 became distinctly more favourable, partly through the elimination of much of the excessive competition, which in recent years, it is stated, has 1 characterised the retail trade. As a result of increased .wages secured by the working classes, the consumptive demand was not appreciably checked-by the advance. -The total receipts of all kinds of frozen and chilled-meat in 1915 amounted Co 664,508 tons, as against 694,427 "tons in 1914, and--720,257 tons in 1913.. The Board of Trade valuation oE these arrivals was £39,671,913 in 1915, as compared wiltb, £30,059,527 in 1914, and £26,648,161 in 1913. From these figures it will be seen that- while the quantities last year fell short of the previous yeai* by only 4.31 per cent, the valuation made at time of arrival increased by about 33 per cent. Taking 100 as indicating the average of top quotations recorded for 12- leading descriptions of frozen meat for the past 10 yeaTs, the index figure for 1915 was 161.18, as compared with 122.61 for 1914, 103'.56 for 1913, 96.65 for 1912, and 86.26 for 1911. Wholesale values have risen by 86 per cent, -within five years, and two-thirds, of that advance has taken." place since August, 1914. otherwise, the average, prices current t on •Srnithlneld market in 1915 show an increase of over 40" per cent. , since the outbreak of war. The world V export output of frozen and chilled heef, mutton, and. lamb in 1915 is estimated at 882,658 tons, compared with 800,413 tonsin 1914, and 767,311 ions" in 1913. In referring : to -future prospects, Messrs Weddell and Co. point out that underneath all the war conditions which, render, ordinary market forecast; impossible there remains the- intrinsically sound statistical position which was developing steadily - for a year or .two before the war 'broke out. Normal .consumption had overtaken normal'supply. 5 ThaJ Position is Wday/unaltered, ,f ffldeed it has not become accentuated.-. .AU-U» markets existing when-the war "broke .out remain infeefc'-'and iVis, almost certain that additional' markets are being created ; fey the ymc-\in France,': Belgium -andr " Italy. "No "important" additions itv'the vworld's supplies ( have-. come.-into sight?, though js 7 the promise: '-',• in'^eW 3,1 3 Gw: Despite the very" serious 1 dislocations ot" . trade 'caused* by the special demands" o'f . the!" Government, there is" good reason'to expect a high level of values' when normal conditions again prevail'; "buib .the } great uncertainty-'of outlook,.so far asj the duration, of 'the war-'is concerned, makes.it impossible .to put forward* any" definite forecast; as'to the conrea of "prices in 1916./ The; splendid" services ren- - derecU'by the - British" Navy keepingopen the high, seas insure tih© continuance 0 of full j but* .the Tequite* ments of. the- Army' will JStilL demand-,' the first of,,"the inettb'; and the > course, of prices' in , the - markets 'of the United, Kingdom must' be largely-controlled by"the proportion - -'of"the! imports- released' for lian consumption. ' 7*- »" -" - ' ' - >■'