The Frozen Meat Trade.

Otago Witness, Issue 1764, 12 September 1885, Page 7

The Frozen Meat Trade.

TO THE EDITOR. Sih, — Your correspondent, " Pomingolarna," says that I was labouring under a misapprehension when I stated in my letter of 10ch of July last, that the trade in Colonial meat is confined to London. I have not a copy of my letter to refer to, but I am pretty sure that I did not state, in so. many words, that the sale of frozen meat is confined to the wholesale and retail traders of London. I probably spoke of the London market in a general way, as we do in the Colonies, meaning really the whole of Britain, but speaking of London as the immediate destination of the bulk of our Colonial produce, knowing all the same that it is not necessarily its ultimate destination. At the time of writing the letter in question I well kaew that New Zealand mutton found its way to the provincial towns, as I have a friend at horne — also an old New Zealand farmer — with whom I correspond regularly, and who informed m.9 more than a year since that he had seen frozen mutton sold in Newport, Isle of Wight, and also in Somersetshire. Again, in writing of a trip to Scotland, he mentioned having seen it there ; so that I could, not possibly have written the letter under the impression that the whole of oir frozen meat was absorbed by London alone. Aoart from any private information I may have ha I on the subject, has not the Witness conr taiaed numerous letters and paragraphs on the meat trade ever since its commencement, or " inception " as your correspondent has it, a good word, , no doubt, but a little pedantic .perhaps. No one who has read your valuable paper regularly jould form the erroneous conclusion that London is anything but the emporium o£ all Colonial exports. Your correspondent surely does not imagine that we are so benighted, and ignorant as to think that our wool goes no further than London. A very large percentage of our wheat, wool, and mutton is, no doubt, consumed in London, but we know that a large quantity finds its way to all parts of the kingdom. Trusting you will kindly find room for this much in justification, I am, &c., Colonial Farmer. September 5.