NEW ZEALAND HEAT IN A NEW LIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10419, 17 April 1897, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND HEAT IN A NEW LIGHT.

"A GIGANTIC FRAUD." tFROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDKNT.j London, March 1 Some very interesting articles on the agriculture of New Zealand are now being uublished in the Scotsman. They are understood to be written by the editor, Mr. Cooper, as a result of his recent visit to New Zealand, Describing his visit to one of the New Zealand meat freezing works, and the freezing process employed, he says:—

"That the mutton thus treated is the beat of mfttton I can vouch. No Scottish mutton in or could be better. lam speaking of tin mutton frozen by the Wellington Meat Exporting Company; but there is no reason to doubt that the mutton treated by other establishments ia equally good. Yet then is a slight ground for the objection aonw people hare to it. The freezing congeals the natural juices of the meat, and when the carcases nre thawed for the market) some of these juices How away. When all Allowance has been made for this, the fact remains that thti nutritive qualities of the meat are little lessened, and better meat could scarcely be desired by the most fasti diouß. I am informed that at the present time the wholesale dealers at homo will uol pay more than 2|d a pound for the meat. If they were content with a moderate profit, the meat could be sold at from 3d to -Id a pound less than the price commonly charged for it. What this would mean to thousands of families I need not eay." Now this is all very well so far as it goes. But unfortunately the North British agriculturist on perusing it, discovered a latent meaning of a highly sinister character. It points out that the best frozen mutton from New Zealand is sold in the mother country aa home-fed meat and so bought at a high price, " the unwary purchaser' being defrauded into believing that it is Home meat, fed on the rich pastures m on the juicy roots grown on the arable lawU in Great Britain." Hβ next refers to " the ■tattling report of the House of Lords,* which shows " the enormous extent to which this fraud is carried on." It then proceeds to say: " Each successive Government has been slower than another in the matter of taking ways and means to put an end to this gigantic fraud. It seems clear enough, also, that the Governments of New Zealand and other countries interested in the frozen meat trade, have connived at the fraud also. Had these Governments set principle before interest, or had it served their interests to do so, they would have speedily started retailing establishments in the great centres of population for the sale of that foreign meat under its proper name, or they could have had each carcase so branded that it would have been at once recognised as foreign meat. But they have made no move in either of these directions, and tnerefore they may be held as having connived at the carrying on of this colossal fr mil." The article concludes as follows:-" There are some producers in this country who feat that if foreign meat were sold iu this country under its proper name, and at its proper value, it might prejudicially affect the price of home meat, because if the British consumer found that this foreign meat was nearly as good as home meat, and could be got at Id or 2d per Ib cheaper, he would naturally prefer the cheaper foreign meat. This objection, most certainly, would not apply to frozen meat, for the wasting awaj of ' the natural juices of the meat,' necessarily affects the flavour and nutritive value of the meat. Besides, the very few exporting companies which have established depots for the sale of foreign n.eat under its proper name have . not been particularly successful financially, as the consumer! found that this meat was not of the same quality as the best home meat, and the well-to-do Britisher—even the well-to-do working man—wants to have the best ol meat, and he is willing to pay a good price for it if he gets it good enough. In any case, the risk above referred to is one which the great majority ot home producers are very willing to face, so that the best home meal may command its own price, and the cheap frozen meat from the Australasian colonies or from foreign countries may be sold undec its proper name and at its own price. Aβ » matter of justice, this colossal iraud of selling frozen meat as home meat should b< put down with a firm hand.' . The Agent-General regarding this accusation against the Mew Zealand Government of being parties to " a gigantic fraud" in the light of a very unwarrantable attack on the honour and credit of the colony, as well as of the Government, hue written to the North British Agriculturist explaining what extensive and elaborate steps had been taken by him and by the Government to counteract any such attempts at fraud. Mr. Reeves at the same time forwarded specimens of the various pamphlets, etc., issued on behalf of the New Zealand Government for the express purpose of rendering such frauds, co far as possible, impracticable.