THE FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2152, 23 May 1895, Page 16

THE FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY.

Wellington, May 13. In his address at Feilding Mr D. J. Nathan said that the very solvency of the colony depended upon the success of the f aimers. Australia and the Argentine had entered into the field of competition, and, iv spita of our superior products, were displacing us in the Home markets, while recent paptrs to haad showed that the very scheme he bad propounded was being urged on the farmers of Australia, He plated out that it was absurd to expect; that growers could get fair treatment or satittfadory results under the present circumstances of tha market at Home, and as trade had guffm-d so disastrously it was imperative that something should be done. He referred to the strides other industries had made by combination amongifc thrsa concerned in them, especially noting what had been done for the Indian *nd Cejlon tea trade and the Calif ornian wing industry. The meat trade suffered greatly through so many financially weak freezing companies, with their heavy permanent charges, being engaged in it, and added to wh ; ch there were far too many consignees. Other coanbriuß were assisting industries in a variety of ways, and if New Zealand did not miud she would he left lamenting her Bupinene s. The flax industry had been allowed to die for want of a

experts to b« equal, if not sujerio: to the finest j We'&h or black-faced Scotch mutton produced lal Home. In fact, from evidence takcu last year before a Select Committee of the House of Lords, on the marking of frozen me^t, it was proved that the habit largely prevailed in London and suburbs, amongst the butchers th«re, of supplying their customers with best New Zealand mutton for beat Home grown." This is perfectly true, and it is a capital thing that at last the truth should be proclaimed. Mr Cameron backs up his allegation by publishing extracts from the evidence given last year before Lord Onslow's Moat-marking Cooimittes. Aud ho adds this as a "note":— "New Zealand mutton and Jamb are used at the tables of many of the wealthier classes of London and neighbourhood, not on account of i(s cheapnts?, but for the merits of its quality." Next he reproduces the verdicts of those cmiuent n< rsous to whom Lord Onslow sent preset-fa of J¥ew Zealand meat — viz, : Lord Rosebery, Baron de Wormi, Sir Augustus Harris, tho French Ambassador, Sir Moi'ell Mackenzie, and General do Batha, and he asks warmly : "With such testimonials from these wellknown prpminout rron can anyone be so prejudiced ac to doubb the quality, aud to refuse to give a trial to New Zealand ('prime Canter- ! bury') mutton and lamb ?" One would think not, indeed 1 Mr Cameron also lauds the New Zealand canned meats and dairy produce. He declares tbat though New Zealand sent to E>iglaud 72,461cwt of butter and 49,400cnt of cheese last year none was ever *cen for sale as " New Zealand." No, he adds, "It is all sold as best Euglish (in very black type), and the consumer uses it as such and pays the very highest price for it!" Full irs'ructions are appended as to the mode of treating the frozen meat, &c, and very convenient arrangements made as to forwarding to all p»rts of the English manufacturing dV.ricts. I notice that Mr Cameron will sell best New Zealand mutton at Bid per pound for chops, 7d for leg*, 6d for loins, down to 4£d for neck and 2|d for breast, best New Zealand butter at Is, and cheese at 6d. These ought to " fetch," and I am convinced they will. This is what has so long been wanted. What is now needed is more of such efforts, especially in and around London. A good deal is being dons in » desultory aud sporadic way. • I am buying New Zealand mutton and butter at the same prices, obtaining thorn from the B..naLZi ttares at B'ixfccn, where tho salesman tells me the demand is iucreiiitig enormously. But, of course, at these retail prices the margin is not so large as ta allow scope for any very big jump in wholesale rate?. New Zealand mutton is being sold retail by the half sheep at s£d par Ib. And taking chops at 8i J, legs 7d, shoulders or loius GJ, nock 3^d, and breast 2£d, an all round average of about s^cl is represented. Ab this rats cne does nob see how the wholesale raarkob price could rue above 3£d or 4d and

I little timely assistance from the State, and it was necessary that they should be stirring if the meat trade was not to share a similar fate. (Fhom Ouu Own Correspondent.) London, March 29. Some time ago I referred to the important enterpiiie undertaken by Mr H. C. Cameron, formerly of New Zealand, in establishing a distributing system on an extensive scale, having its centre in Manchester. Mr Cameron, as manager of tbe New Zealand Produce Stores Company, with headquarters at 95 Piccadilly, Manchester, is carrying on this valuable undertaking with immense vigour, and with excellent prf spfr-cts of success. Mr Cameron goes into the matter with a whole-souled energy that is quite refreshing to mett with. He has sent out far and wide some m st attractive circulars, retting forth the great advantages consumers will derive from bujiug high-class New Zealand produce. He strikes a bold note at the outte 1 ;. " Hitherto, as is well known," s^ys Mr Cameron, "no New Zealand produce has been placed (in retail) botore consumers here. This is the first occasion upon which the people of Manchester have ever had the opportunity of obtaining the pr'mst New Zealand mutton and lamb, This statement wo tmphasiso most btrongly, and we challenge the frozen mr at trade ot the district to .contradict it. Swelled Nlw Zealand mutton has bc?n offered and sold, but, in nearly every instance, the mubton to disposed of has been horn River Phle, iv South America, the quality of which is very tufi-rior, and has beou sold in the poorer districts. Genuine prime Naw Zealand mutton and lamb — Ciu'o bury as it is generally termed — is acltnuwledgeel by

leave room for much profit after paying expenses and allowing for looses. These latter arc considerable. Oo Saturday nighta, at all the places where they soil New Zealand meat, you can buy it readily at 4d for the prime cati. It is sold at any price rather than kept on h&nel over Sunday. If a fair proportion of these sacrifices are allowed for it probably brings down the averago of the retail prioe reslited to little over 53. The great desideratum is to extend the area of consumption. Then prices will gradually come to correspond more clcsaly with that paid for home-grown meat.