THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 8

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Mr G. F. Clulee, in a letter to the Timaru Herald, returns to the question of the want of proper organisation for the sale and distribution of our frozen meat playing into the hands of the retail sellers in London during the past four or five months, owing to the glutted condition of the Smithfield market. Mr Clulee says :—

I, have before me account sales from two of the most prominent Smithfield brokers of fat lambs and sheep per Rangatira and Elderslie from Timaru. The highest price obtained for best prime lambs is from 3£d to 4d per lb at Smithfleld, from which has to be deducted at least |d per lb for expenses, leaving from 3gd to 3jjd per lb net to the consignor. The highest price obtained for best prime sheep is from 3d to 3§d per lb at Smithfield, less at least id per lb for expenses, leaving 3|d per lb net for the consumer.

The same mail that brought the above also brought the following printed scale of retail prices from two retailers as follows :—: —

From John S. Fitter and Sons :—": — " Very prime New Zealand lamb. — Present prices per pound : Lambs, 64: d ; sides, 6£d ; forequarters, 6d ; hindquarters, 8d ; legs, lOd ; loins, 7d per pound. New Zealand mutton : Sheep, sgd per pound ; sides, 6d ; hindquarters, 7d ; forequarters, s£d ; legs (with necks), 6£d ; legs (with breasts), 6£d ; legs, 8d ; saddles, 6d ; loins, 6d ; shoulders, 6d ; necks, s£d ; breasts, 3d."

From John Rose and Co. : — "Lamb ! ! ' Reduced prices ! Economy ! Nothing but finest New Zealand mutton and lamb ! Lamb (delicious flavour) : Hindquarters, B^-d ; forequarters, 7d ; legs, 9£d ; loins, 7^d ; shoulders, B£d ; necks, Gd. New Zealand mutton : Southdown — breasts, 2d ; neck, 4d ; neck (best end), 6d ; shoulders, s£d ; loin, s£d ; legs, 6-2-d."

It will be; seen that the lamb for which we get a maximum price of -from 3g& to 31 d is being retailed at the very same time at from 6d, ranging up to lOd per lb, and sheep in nearly similar proportions. It is quite evident that the retailer has not invited the consumer to share with him the benefib he has derived from the low Smithfield rales. He has merely retained his usual circle of customers and maintained the prices they have been accustomed to. The J. S. Fitter and Sons referred to must net be confused with the great Smithfield firm, Henry Fitter and Sons. They are quite a distinct firm and have their place of business at Leadenhall market.

I thought there would have been more sympathy between tho retail and wholesale markets, but according to these figures there is little or noue. The retailer must have literally coined money during the past season, not only in lamb, but sheep. I shall be quite willing to sbow tbe documents I have mentioned and others, to anyone who is curious to see them .

While on this subject I would caution growers of fat lambs and sheep against letting their stock get too heavy and fat this year. To do so can only end in disappointment. The tendency i.3 distinctly towards preferring lighter sheep, with plenty of flesh, bub lean, and I notice now that New Zealand light sheep are specifically quoted as against, and ia preference to, New Zealand heavy sheep. The weights inquired for now arc principally 54-ib to 641b, lambs 341b to 421b. I believe that before long a 56ib or 581b sheep will be preferred to any other, provided it has quality. I think buyers of 451b to 501b lambs this year will be unknown unless at sheep rates.

Our Melbourne correspondent wrote on the 15th inst: —

A lecture was delivered by Mr John Hotson in the Melbourne Town Hall on Wednesday evening on the "Frozen Meat Industry." Mr Hotson is of the firm of Turnbull, Hotaon, and Co., the only firm engaged in the trade in Victoria. They have refrigerating chambers at Newport, near Kob3on's Bay, and also make extensive use of the refrigerating chambers recently erected by the Melbourne City Council at the new fish markets in Flinders street. Mr Ilot&on, iv the course of his lecture, gave the following information as to the extent of the industry in Australia : — " There were altogether eight freezing works in Australia. The Central Queensland works, at Lake's creek, near Rockhampton, controlled largely by Melbourne direction, showed by their returns that within the last two ami a-half years 73,000 bullocks and 618,000 sheep had been exported, amounting to £734,000, and during the present year th(>y would {.laughter about 850,000. QueenoUnd was undoubtedly taking the first place in

the export of beef, and looked as if she would be the first colony to emerge from the present clouds. There were also works at Townsville and Brisbane, and in New South Wales there were the Australian Chilling and Freezing Company at Aberdeen, on the Hunter river, and works in Sydney. Here we had our works at Newport, together with the splendid freezing chambers at the City Markets in Flinders street, erected by bhe City Council, and leased by the lecturer's own firm. Altogether the freezing capacity of these companies amounted to about two and a half millions of sheep per annum, or more than the whole export of New Zealand. But unfortunately the official returns showed that nothing like this number passed through the works in 1892, and the increase j during the present year had not been startling. It would be seen that it was not so much additional freezing works that were required to develop the frozen meat industry, but a disposition on the parb of the stockowners to avail themselves of those which were already established." It will ba observed that Mr Hotson, being already in the trade, can see no need of Mr John Cook's proposed works at Deniliquin, or Mr David Elder's at Seymour, to say nothing of the Geelong proposals. The Geelong people, however, as I have said in previous letterp, mean business. They have had a channel cut through their harbour bar which will give them over 23ft at low water, and they are eager to clip Melbourne's wings as the premier shipping port. Geelong and Melbourne are both within the waters of Port Phillip Bay, and all Geelong people believe bhat only for the accident of the troublesome bar which shut out big ships, their city would have been the capital of Victoria. Probably Melbourne has got too big a start now, but with a 23ft channel Geelong is still hopeful. ' Messrs Turnbull, Hotson, and Co. are by no means standing still in the trade. The steamer Waikato, which arrived on Thursday, will take 15,000 carcases for them ; and the Hornby Grange is expected next week to carry another big consignment. The Perthshire, which is now on her way out from London, will also take 20,000 from their works. This steamer will carry no fewer than 80,000 sheep in all. She will be filled up with 30,000 from Sydney, 15.000 from Newcastle, and 15,000 from your colony. Messrs Nelson Brothers (Limited) report, under date London, October 12 :—: — With moderate supplies of meat on offer in the cattle markets at Islington and Depfcford, and by no means large quantities at the Central Meat Market, a firmer tone might have been looked for, but trade has been excessively dull, and, with a very restricted demand, prices have receded. The weather yesterday and to-day is favourable, and early this morning a rather brisker business was done, but at no advance in price. Frozen mutton has not maintained the advance made three weeks ago, and must now be quoted at id per lb less money for both New Zealand and Australian. There have been no heavy arrivals from New Zealand to account for the fall ; it is consequent on the lack of demand and flatness of trade generally prevailing, helped perhaps in some degree by the not first-class quality of the sheep put on the market. The fall in Australian mutton is entirely due to competition. Stocks are fairly light, but are distributed amongst several consignees, and a desire to realise has caused lower prices to be taken. The Duke of Argyle brings the first shipment of Queensland sheep sent Home for some months ; they are nice, compact, small sheep, in good condition—a very marked improvement on those received earlier in the year, and an evidence that the Darling Downs have recovered from the effects of drought and floods. The colonies are threatened with another competitor in the Straits of Magellan Frozen Meat Company (Limited), which has just been registered. Some few years ago Falkland Island sheepowners took up country in Patagonia, transferring part of their flocks. This company, apparently, is the outcome of their enterprise. It remains to be seen whether the country has a climate less rigorous than the Falklands, so that sheep can be killed at any time of the year, and not only at the close of summer as in those islands. Frozen Beef.— The very heavy consignments by the Duke of Sutherland and Duke of Argyle have had the anticipated effect, and prices have fallen considerably ; and though owners have shown every inclination to meet buyers, sales so far have been limited. The Fifeshire, from Brisbane and Townsville, with some 900 tons or about 10,000 ?[uartei's, may be looked for to-morrow, and still urthor add to the difficulty of disposal. The market cannot absorb such an amount of meat in addition to its ordinary regular supplies of American and home-killed, and the sooner the colonies are persuaded that there is not an unlimited market at Home the better it will be for themselves. Our quotations for to-day are ; for hindquarters, 2}d ; fores, 2^d. The calves ex Duke of Argyle have not been put on the market, but with the plentiful supply of Dutch veal constantly coming forward and selling at low prices, remunerative rates cannot be looked for. Pork.— No Australian or New Zealand on offer. Plate frozen pork selling at about 4d per lb.