THE MEAT TRADE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1217, 28 June 1895, Page 28

THE MEAT TRADE.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, —You mention this morning certain countries in the East that should offer us a market for products if we have the energy and necessary capital to seize the opportunity. The travelling commission despatched by Victoria has resulted in good. Those who have visited the East, where the customs of trade are somewhat different to those prevailing here, would agree that a regular trade could be maintained if a sustained effort were made. This would be costly in money and time. On whose shoulders should this fall ? The individual directly, or on the individual indirectly through the medium of the State, which might bear the whole cost or supplement by way of bonus a colonial scheme for enlarging present markets and finding new ones ? rueh efforts must not be spasmodic or failure will result. They 'must be regular and continuous for a definite time This aspect of the trade might well form one of the chief subjects for discussion at the conference to be held to consider " The Distribution of Our Export Produce Trade." Such a movement would no doubt meet the approval of our Colonial Treasurer, as in his speeches at the Article Club and elsewhere he strongly advocated Great Britain subsidising- steamers for the expansion of her trade if she desired to retain her supremacy in the growing and important colonial trade. Touching on your leader on frozen meat, I may remark that taking your ideas and contentions as a whole they are by no means confirmed by the evidence adduced before Lord Onslow's committee on the Meat Marking Bill, nor by the report recently laid before the New South Wales Legislature by Mr Bruce, the Chief Inspector of Stock for that colony. With regard to prices of chilled meat it must not be forgotten that the first ship • ments of frozen mutton realised within a penny or twopence of English, whilst now the margin is 4d to sd, but this cannot be attributed to excessive supplies when it is remembered that New Zealand's yearly export of meat is only about 3 per cent, of the total meat consumed in Great Britain. To get at the root of the evil, it is imperative that improved methods of handling and distributing must be adopted, otherwise frozen mutton prices will continue at an unsatisfactory level, and no better results will accrue to the grower from the experiments with chilled meat. We musb work the trade for ourselves and by ourselves to secure a fair return to the sheepfarmer. —I am, &c.,

David J, Nathan Wellington, 25th. June.