OUR PRODUCE IN ENGLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19349, 9 December 1924, Page 8

OUR PRODUCE IN ENGLAND.

MR JESSEFS EXPERIENCES. BRIGHT OUTLOOK ON CONTINENT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, December 8. Mr J. S. Jessep, of Hawke's Bay, who is vice-chairman of the Meat Producers’ Board, and has been on a health trip to the Mother Country and the Continent, arrived hero to-day. and will go south tonight. While in England he spent several weeks in London at a conference regarding freights. lie also travelled extensively irt the central countries of Europe, visiting Austria, ( /.echo-Slovakia, Germany, Holland, and Switzerland. Ho found that the demand for frozen meat was steadily increasing. This was evidenced by the everincreasing shipments of frozen beef from the Argentine to the Continent. “It only wants a general revival of trade,” says Mr Jessep, "to lead to a large increase in the oonsunmtion of meat on the Continent, and that revival of trade seems to be very near. The material wealth of the central European countries is clearly shown on all sides by the wonderful crops and the manufacturing activity to bo seen on all hands. The people work long hours, the land is rich, and the natural resources of the countries are great. The only factors lacking are credit facilities, and these are now being arranged. It. looks as if a trade boom on the Continent is imminent.”

In regard to the new- contract with the shipping companies with respect to the carriage of refrigerated produce. Mr Jessep said: “I consider it was very tvise in the interests of the dominion to make a contract for the next three years. The prices arranged place the dominion in, a rather bettor position comparatively than we occupied in pre-war years, —that is, as compared with tho Argentine, our main competitor. I am strongly of the opinion that we should concentrate now on the efficiency and the regularity of the shipping service from New Zealand to England. A fast and regular service can only bo carried out by shipping fleets able to cope thoroughly with - the trade, and it is of paramount importance that we should do everything we possibly can to reduce the time between New Zealand and her markets. This can be done by giving the shipping companies a contract for three years, thus enabling the companies to make their plans to provide vessels, for this trade, which will cut down the time. I hope to see the time reduced to 30 days from Wellington to London, via Panama. Everything points to very good prices for Now Zealand produce for somij time to come, and if I may venture to give a word of advice to my fellow-farmers in the dominion it would be this—that now is their time to reduce their liabilities and own their own farms. We are enjoying an era of prosperity undreamt of by our fathers, and if we use the opportunity rightly the whole farming community of New Zealand can get into a position in which it will not oe troubling so much about the. price of money. The outlook is decidedly good, but even high prices may bo dangerous if people are carried away with them. If the high prices of wool, meat, and dairy ' produce lead to over-speculation and not to strengthening their position, the . result may not be so beneficial to tho producers as it should be. It is to bo hoped that the lesson of tho past few years' will not bo forgotten.” Mr Jessep said that there has been a very marked improvement in the handling of moat on the wharves in London since he was in England two years ago. He pointed out also that the increased imports of frozen beef to the Continent meant a better London market for New Zealand produce.