OUR FROZEN MEAT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1403, 19 January 1899, Page 6

OUR FROZEN MEAT.

SHOULD IT BE ADVERTISED OR

IMPROVED ?

I notice (writes "G.D.H.," from Dannevirke) that in your paper of the 12th inst. a correspondent states "that the Government wastes a great deal of money in advertising the attractions of this country for tourists," and that "the money would be better spent by the Agent-General in attractively placing before the British public the virtues of our frozen meat." Our Government, in common with other Governments of intelligence in Europe and America, is aware that the tourist leaves many millions of money annually in the countries vieitedi taklPg no

! produce in return, and besides this, acts as a general advertisement. With a country presenting the unrivalled natural attractions to this class that ours does, a Government would be indeed neglectful to leave it unknown. In regard to further advertising the frozen meat, it would be better to first turn serious attention to improving the quality. At present a longwoo-1 sheep is sent Home, which, to keep it within the weight acceptable, has to be killed when it is neither lamb nor mutton. Can any amount of advertising reconcile the British public to using this flabby, immature coarse meat? Or can there be surprise that it fails to realiso satisfactory prices, or those of the small, well-grown, well-matured, finegrained British breeds? Why, in these enlightened times, big longwool sheep are grown at all as an article of diet is so far unexplained. Time was when the British working-man ("the millions that make the market") was not half so well paid as now, and in coal and iron-working countries was content to uso longwool mutton, because it could be obtained at a much less price than mutton from small sheep. But many of the crimes of violence must be ascribed to the use of this meat, the fat of which is practically insoluble by the gastric juices, the dyspepsia thus induced no doubt taking a homicidal character. Indeed, this fat is insoluble by anything less than the strong alkalis used by the makers of coarse soaps. It is, at any rate, on record that a Judge, being aware that such meat had been habitually used by the criminal, and after hearing all the evidence, gave judgment "with extenuating circumstances." That the meat sent Home is "sound" is beyond doubt. A cargo of sound turnips might be sent; but if the people at the other side only wanted apples, advertising would hardly sell the turnips.