THE NEW ZEALAND MEAT TRADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2231, 3 December 1896, Page 6

THE NEW ZEALAND MEAT TRADE.

(Fbom Ouh Own Corbesfondeht.) London, April 3. If the New Zealand meat trade does not exhibit symptoms of rapid improvement it will not be the fault of the Agent-general. In my last letter I mentioned that Mr Beeves had been in Bristol with Mr Gray, the Government produce surveyor, actively endeavouring to push New Zealand interests in that populous port;. They soon found abundant proof that very little was done, or doing, or likely to be done, with New Zealand meat in that part of the world unless an entirely new system could be devised and carried out. Mr Reeves had some long interviews with the secretary of the Bristol Docks Committee, when quefctions of wharfage, dockage, &tor*ge, &«., were earnestly discussed. Mr Reeves tells me he fouud the secretary of the committee not only very courteous, but also most ready and willing to give every possible assistance in developing trade in New Zealand meat at that port. All feasible facilities might be relied upon as certain to bo forthcoming on the part) of the porb and port authorities of Bristol. Unfortunately, a good deal more than this is needed. "It means money," says Mr Reeves, " and the New Zealand producers will have to help us. But if we only have the means there is plenty to be done. I am convinced that New Zealand meit can be pushed to a large extent and an extensive trade opened out if the matter be gone about in the right way." "It is tha same thing at Liverpool," Mr Reeves continued, "Me Gray is thero now, and he finds that really nothing at all is being done. The ground is practically unoccupied." I mentioned to the Agent-general a little experience of my own in Liverpool when I went with a friend to a shop where New Zealand meat was professedly sold, my idea being to induce him and his friends to try ib. Bub we both shrank back, aghast and disgusted, from the repulsive, skinny, nasfcy looking wretches of scare-crow sheep which were offered in that shop as " best Canterbury." Ib was miserable stuff even for inferior River Plate meat. " Yeß," said Mr Reeves, "thab is just what does happen. The River Plate interest has it all its own way in Liverpool, and if we do nob exert; our*plves promptly we shall have the River Plate occupying the ground in Bristol as ib has in Liverpool. The Plate people could easily do it, and no doubt will, unless we bestir ourselves. I am incubating a plau which I hope to be able to make feasible, bub of whioh I must not say anything, even to you, jusb ab presenb. You shall hoar all about it later." "By the bye," said the Agent - general, changing the subject, or rather changing its locality, " I have been a good deal at the various London docks lately, and have seen a good de*l as to the way meat is handled bhore when discuarging. On the whole things were fairly well dove. In most oases the shoots down

which the meat ie slid from the ship to the wharf are nob inclined ab too steep an angle, bub merely enough to allow the carcases to slide easily to the wharf ; hub in some instances (and this used often to be the case) the snoots were reared up at so steep an aogle that the meat ru>hed down and came with a violent and chipping shock oc the pleuku Bub in loading tha frozen carcase* on the trucks all the previous care seemed to disappear. The carcases were simply chucked into the trucks and allowed to fall with full force on the flooring—with inch force that, as I approached from a distance, the noiae of each was like that of a piledriver at work. Of course th« upper layers did nob make so muck noiu« *s they fell, having other carcases to f&ll on ; but th&k simply meant that both lofca were bashed about. There will have to be much reform in this respect. It would 'not do for me to tell you what steamer's meat was being thus treated, but," said Mr R«;eve9, " ib stands to reason that ib must have suffered from such rough treatment., set if it sells b*dlj tha blame will hardly be hid cn.ils rough treatment in thia di#charg i rj£ prices*)."' Mr Henry Gray, Government produce inrveyor, is ab present ab Cardiff. AcfciDg under the iistruotionß of the Agent-general he will personally visit all the principal mfiat-consum-ing institutions, such as the ' hospital", work" houses, &c, with the object of impreuing upon them the advu&blenoHs of using Ntw Zealand meat, and of making sure wheu they ar6 sapposed to be purchasing New Zealand mi;at tint they really get what they are paying for, and do nob have inferior Australian or River Plate meat palmed off on them. Mr Rsfcves has received further manifestations of net only the readiness, but also the eagerness of the Bristol Docks Committee to do all in their pcvrr r r to encourage a New Zealand prodtioo trade to that port. Ifc is believed that a considerable business can be dena both in meat and in butter, and the Agent-general has brought the matter strongly under the notice of the London shipping companies. The difficulty is to provide a return cargo for the steamers th&t might visib Bristol. It is simply hopeless to expect that Bristol coold furnish this, and tho const queries is thr.t the vessels would have to go round to Lcodcm to load. This, of course, involves inoveaced working expenses, bub Mr Reeves is sanguine bhab the difficulty may yet be overcome. He is giving the matter a great deal of attention.