FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16003, 20 February 1914, Page 8

FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

CURRENT MEAT MARKET.

CHILLED TRANSPORT' PROBLEM.

(From Ona Own Correspondent.)

n . , LONDON, January 9. Only one parcel of New Zealand new seasons lamb ha* appeared on tho market so far and that of a quality and condition not calling for comment It remains to say that the market is exceedingly firm with Australian mutton of quite medium quality at I,d and a free sale, and Australian lamb up to bid. Australian meat is "having the uvl r,i te e '" as an Irish man would say. \\ ith Plate sheep and lamb scarce, and New Zealand meat otf the market, there is nothing to take their place, save Australian, and so, it has come into its own-—or somebody else's. This is not because it approaches either New Zealand or Plate meat in quality, but merely because it is on the spot. Phe greatest inquiry is, of course, tor light lambs. A small Australian lamb of quite second-class quality ,will make 52d on 6mithfield, merely because it is small, where a. heavier carcase, of better quality, will only fetch Sd. Mutton is so short that uuyers, tor tho moment, are not particular as to quality. Tho Christmas trade was a very animated one, Smithfleld presenting a very lively appearance, and being promptly cleared of the 5000 tons of meat put on it on the 22nd ult As usual, the admiration of all juid sundry was compelled bv Che wonderful pnze meat sent to SmifMeld" from Buenos Ayres Fat Stock Show by Swifto and Armours. There were close on a thousand quarters of beef and sheep and lamb carcases in all, and the whole lot, except hero and there a piece too fat "for human nature's daily food," -was simply perfect, both in quality and dressing. It was American methods again; by the .vay, one of the beasts had cost Swift's just en £400 and several others had run well into three . ligurcs, but the advertisement tliey evidently considered was well worth the cost. The beef market has again been visited with abnormal Ditchings of chilled from Argentina, the weekly arrivals last month not fidling far short of 100,000 a week right through, as the total chilled landings for the l'onth were 320,000 quarters. Frozen beef actually ' kept ite price up against the chilled article, so that the latter has been at times the dearer meat. THE ARGENTINE FACTOR. Tho frozen meat market is intensely ir.teresting just now, in what one might call the anticipatory department. Everything pemts ahead, and everybody is weighing feward chances each moment of the day. Mutton it is thought, will be well maintained at its high level, while lambs, which, later, will not be so short on tofol a*s mutton axe expected to become a rather cheaper meat as may beef, if it is to bo harassed from the Argentine. Sulzberger's, who were to start shipping from New Year's Day, from ' their newly-acquired Frigorifico Argentino, are universally believed to be outside the trust, a,nd the greatest interest attaches to their tactics in competition with tho other Americans. If they fight them in the English market, so much the worse for prices. Weddel's annual review focusses, in a short, but striking, comparison, the Argen-tine-American output in its true relation to ' the rest of the frozen meat-producing areas of the world. It states that of the total shipment to this country last year of 380,062 tons of frozen and chilled beef from Argentina, itself 20 per cent, of the total national beef consumption, 192,415 tons, or over 50 per cent., were shipped by the Americanowned La Plata and La Blanca works. Those two works in fact, exported consider! ably more beef than the total weight of frozen meat shipped either by the whole of Australia or the whole of New Zealand. These facts need pondering. CHILLED BEEF FOR AMERICA. I was interested to see that Messrs John -S??i , , Co - had made a shipment of chilled beef from Australia to San Francisco. Although it was said to have arrived in a fairly satisfactory condition, I do not think it will be repeated. 1 gather that not only would the freight be too heavy, but tho trouble experienced in keeping tempera*--turcs exactly right and every condition perfect, over that 20-day voyage was so great that a bigger trade would bo hard to establish. As it was, I believe I am correct in saying that before the ship had finished unloading there were signs of mould on some of the quarters, though the meat was actually passed. I think this is fairly sure evidence that it is onlv tho Linley system that will get Australia and New Zealand beef successfully into the United States, and I shall he very interested to hear -what the decision of the United States inspection authorities is with regard to the admission of the few quarters of beef sent as a trial lot. I hope to hear in a few days "time that the meat has met with a favourable reception, and that the Linley system will be given a free bill. Ite importance in lighting the trust is paramount in its om department, for it permits of a chilled trade from other centres than Argentina. Of course, the trust wire-pullers were on tho alert to try and spoil the chances of this trial consignment. Their method was the very insidious one of encouraging the newspaper 6tory that the attempt was made on behalf of the trust iteelf, an event sure t6 inflame popular indignation. It was added that the moat had been washed in preservative, the falsity of which is patent, to anyone knowing anything at all about the Linley process. I fancy, however, that this pretty conspiracy failed, as the inspection authorities approached the question in an unbiassed manner, and went into the features of the system fairly and squarely. INSURANCE OF AMERICAN IMPORTS. There has just returned to London from the Unitefl States Mr Frank Knowies a well-known Lloyd's sm-veyt>r, who went out to America on behalf of English underwriters to examine and report upon the conditions ruling in connection with the fro7.cn and chilled meat import trade which has come into being since the establishment of the Wilson tariff. Mr Knowles's report is. T believe, entirely favourable towards the conditions of landing, handling, storage, and transit of the meat in tho States, and this will bo reassuring to Eng- . lish underwriters, who will be prominent in their operations in that, as well ae tiio trade to British ports. There is already established in Now York a branch of Lloyd's underwriting interests, and it, is to bo Kispposed that their representation in American centres will shortly be extended.