TRADE OF THE PACIFIC

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8559, 23 October 1913, Page 8

TRADE OF THE PACIFIC

PROBABLE EFFECT OP PANAMA CANAL. Press Association. AUCKLAND, October 22. Mr A. W. Pearse, editor of the “Pastoralists’ Review,” who represented the meat freezing companies of New Zealand and Australia at the Refrigerating Congress at Chicago, is a passenger by the Marama from Vancouver. Ho states that over £SOOO was spent in entertaining the delegates. Two of tho banquets were unique. At tho meat packers’ dinner there were 600 guests, all in scarlet hunting coats, and a man on horseback and a pack of hounds patrolled the room between the tables for a time. Questioned regarding tho meat trust, Mr Pearse said the rivalry between the competing interests mad© combined action impossible. The prices paid for cattle were so high that they must be losing from five to seven dollars on each beast. Mr Pearse is of opinion that the Panama Canal at first will do more harm than good. So far as our interests are concerned it would bring Argentine and Uruguayan meat and butter in quick time to Pacific ports, where, so far, Australia had a monopoly. It was a large trade and bound to develop. A much quicker service and larger refrigerated tonnage were urgently needed by Australia and New Zealand for the Pacific coast.