The Frozen Meat Trade. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2265, 29 July 1897, Page 7

The Frozen Meat Trade. TO THE EDITOR.

Sis, — It was interesting to read the paper, written by " Exporter" on the frozen meat trade, and as a producer I am pleased that ho published it. The manner in which we have, and are being treated, requires a thorough overhauling, as he says. The whole system of handling our produce has been one of combination and concentration in the direction of profits to the middleman, and, as put by " Exporter," a combination of wealth that we, as producers, have to fight against, and one that must ba faced by the colony before we get justice. -I Messrs Ocbell and Nathan some time ago by their energy were the means of causing a conference to be held in Wellington. A committee was aDDoioted to arrange details, &c, bat, as

" Exporter " says, they seem to have done abso» lutely nothing in the matter, and should stand aside and allow someone else 'to lake their place. I quite agree with "Exporter," seeing the producers have not had the grit and 'pluck to combine, that the Government, through the Agricultural department, will have to be approached. Oar ' Government, through their large stake, consisting of Crown tenants, advances made to cefctlers, and, in fact, the general taxpayers, have an interest that cannot be laid aside. They must take the matter in hand and see that we get a fair price for our produce, othervise rents, rates, and advances cannot be met by the producers. Still the producers, by combination, should urge on our farmers' cooperativa associations to assist by endeavouring to arrftDge with the wholesale co-operative Association at Home to made our produce a branch cf their trade, as by that means we would reach the consumer through their retail co-operative societies, and do away with several of the middlemen in London. We want men well paid, who will make it their only business to w»tch our interests in lieu of gentlemen with other interests on our boards of management should such committees of advice be required, ss bank managers, merchants, &c, ' have other interests to serve first and our i produce next. Therefore they cannot be cxi pectsd to do full justice to the producer. I notice •'Another Exporter" takes up tha paper written by " Exporter," and endeavour* to throw all sorts of unsurmountable difficulties in the way. His interest is not at one with the producer. ~ He appears to have gained a largo j amount of information both in the colony and by his visits to the Home country, but on reading his letter I came to the conclusion that he was exporting an an agent and not as a producer. . Ac a middleman or representative of a company it might not pay him to see a New Zealand depot, or depots, started, on lines suggested by " Exporter," and all shipped through one channel in the interest of the producers. I think his -whole letter points to the drawing of a herring across the scent in lieu of assisting the producer, and the producew will hare to bo careful in copying either his diction or his mien. Still, I trust that my opinions in that direction are not well founded, and hope to hear of his i working with the producer in every way posI sible to attain the much desired end of getting j a pay&blo market for all produce to enable us [ to improve our flocks and land, and I am oei> i tain all producers are quite prepared to bear ' their share of cost thab may bring about the dasired results. But he must remember that I we ars not going to sit idly by aad see that profit which really belongs to vi swelling the ' pockets of the middlemen either at Home or ia the colonies. I consider the abippiog companies have been having their share of late years, otherwise they could not stand such a reduction a» £150,000 a ; year on freight alone. I still think the freezing companies in tbe colony will have to pay more attsntion to the producers' interest by more cool storage at this end and regulating supplies. The days of 10 per cent, dividends are gone, and if they consider dividends more than the producers' interests we will have t< combine and see that we get full justice in thi freezing of our sheep, &3., as well as the carriage and distribution. Thanking you in anticipation, and also thanking " Exporter ' for keeping this subject to the fore, as we 1 will have to keep diligently at work, otherwise I we will soon ba supplanted in the Home market iby those who are nearer than we are, — I am, &c, Producer, 1 j TO THIS BDITOB. I Sib,— -"Another Exporter" now «*ys : "Let j us hear from him (' Exporter') how he will arrangs concentration." I reply by consigning to, say, [ half a dozen leading broker* or agents, instead i oE to over a hundred as at present ; the half- | dozen to bo selected by the freezing companies i upon terms with producers that I have already advocated. I aho proposed a central depot for i all New Zealand produce, but I will not go into , this question again. \ Your correspondent has ridiculed concentra- '< tion, regulating supply, and every .other sug- ' gesfced reform, and in a previous letter said that vre have had " concentration " to quits as large an extent as can ba expected to occur. He referred, I imagine, to the C. C. and D. Company, since he has not contradicted this assumption in my reply to him. Sir Montague Nelson, I believe, is one of the chiefs in this company, and last week you published a cablegram as follows :— " Sir Montsgu© Nelson # »aid the great difficulty of the meat trade was th« absoiute want of connection bafcween supply and aemand. The cure for this would be combiastion and concentration." I shopld like to hear what my friend has to *ay to this. He, again, returns to the question of producers being aawilling to pay cost of storage, interest, &c. Do they not pay ifc now ? If not, who does ? I will not go further into the matter. I have written nothing that I do not believe practical, and before another five years pass I am of opinion that the trade will be conducted'upon very different principles, and that many of my suggestions will be acted upon.— l am, &c, July 19. Expokteb.

Among the passengers from Sydney by the Honowai were a Chinaman and his wife. As they were nob naturalised, the customs department at Wellington demanded the poll tax of £100 each. The amount was promptly paid by cheque. The agricultural seeds exhibited by "Nimmo and Blair at Dunedin Winter Show of 1899 and 1897 secured only Gold Medals for general excellence of quality. Nimmo and Blaie will send samples and give quotation* on applies* Hon.— Advb,