THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17318, 18 May 1918, Page 6

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

The keynote to tho existing situation m respect of the frcwen meat trade is furnished in a passage in the annual report of Messrs W. Weddel and Co. : " The prolongation of the war has tended to emphasise the importance of the trade in frozen meats, not only for civilian use, but even more so for army purposes. Tho full extent of its value as a national asset is not yet realised; but it is sufficiently manifest to make it desirable to devote more attention than hitherto to our oversea dominions as sources of supply." While tho initiation and development of the frozen meat trade wero entirely due to private enterprise, a recognition of its value as a national asset has been forced by the war on the State, which now exercises a virtual control of the whole of the trade in meat. It is only natural that the severest critics of tho new system should be those who were engaged before the war in the business of supplying and distributing frozen meat to the markets of tho world. Of that criticism the character and quality may be gathered from the statement of Messrs Weddel and Co. that the Government departments at Home have, by fixing prices arbitrarily, and by substituting theoretical methods of distribution for the well-tried and practical, though by no means ideal, system in vogue before the war, done what they could to kill individual effort, and to establish an elaborate official system of trading, with more regard to political than to economic considerations. Further, it is alleged that the labour employed by the Government departments has been colossal, and to a large extent unnecessary, while success has not been achieved, and the cost to the State, both financially and economically, has yet to be ascertained. A point of some interest in the report—which is dated February, nearly 'a month before t!he system of the compulsory rationing of meat came into force—is contained in the statement that the high prices for meat were due, not so much to lessened supplies as to increased consumption. While there was a voluntary tendency on the part of the upper and middle classes to eat less meat prior to the introduction of compulsory rationing, large masses of I people who before the war did not eat so much meat as they desired, because they could not afford to do so, have spent an appreciable proportion of their increased wages on food in general and en meat in particular, the cost of which, being artificially lowered, has encouraged tho demand. It is admitted, however, that lessened supplies were an element in the raising of prices, for the importation of meats into the United Kingdom was less in 1917 than in 1915 by 180,000 tons. The prospects for the future, with which the dominion is largely concerned, are thus summarised by Messrs Weddel and Co.: The opinion is held almost universally that after the war there will be a scramble amongst all the big consuming countries of the world and some of the smaller nations which have not previously been, importers of meat, for a share in the world's exportable surplus. High prioes are anticipated as a oonsequenoo of the keen competition to be looked for under such circumstances 1 and fears are freely expressed that the available supplies will fall far short of the requirements of a Continent which for some years has been reduced to very modest rations, under tho stress of war. The outlook for supplies is, however, more thaa hopeful; plenty is almost assured. The producing countries of the world in Australasia, South Amerfca, North America, and also South Afrioa are being favoured with good seasons as a rule; they are all well supplied with refrigerating plant, and stock is nowhere scarce. The only problem remaining to bo solved is transport, and even that is not by any means unsatisfactory. The tonnage of refrigerated steamers now in existence, under the British flag, is as large as a.t the outbreak of war; and new shipping lines have been started in France and Italy, which bring the world's aggregate of refrigerated tonnage into an exceptionally strong position. If only the available moans of transport be utilised to their full capacity for this main purpose, there can bo little doubt but that the meet pressing prospective demands will not go unsatisfied for want of tho meat nor for lack of ships to bring it to Europe.