BRITISH MEAT INTERESTS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1686, 22 June 1904, Page 62

BRITISH MEAT INTERESTS

Some of the companies that deal in imported meat make very large profits. Thus, at the annual meeting of Eastman 3, Ltd., the year’s profit Avas announced to be i£91,865. The chairman mentioned that the Company hoav had 882 retail shops m Great Britain and Ireland, being an increase of 77 during the year, and their cold stores in the large toAvns were capable of holding altogether about 310,000 carcases of mutton and lamb. As far as the Company's trade Avas concerned, tlie directors did not Avish any change in the fiscal policy of the country as regarded fresh meat, as the cheaper they could buy their supplies tlie better. According to the most reliable figures aA r aiiable, the United Kingdom supplied 62.40 per cent, of the beef, mutton, veal, and lamb consumed; the Colonies, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, 11.93 per cent; and foreign countries, including the United States, the Argentine liepublic. and the' Uontinent of Europe, 25.02 per cent., but only about 1 per cent, of this came from Europe. Any change in the fiscal policy in the way of taxation on tlie product in which the Company dealt would affect all dealers alike, and their relative position Avith tlieir competitors Avould not be changed in anyjway. They therefore had no cause for anxiety in this connection.