BRANDING FROZEN MEAT.

Otago Witness, 25 January 1900, Page 15

BRANDING FROZEN MEAT.

DISCUSSION AT THE NxiTIONAL AGRICULTURAL UNION. ENCOMIUMS ON NEW ZEALAND MUTTON. (Feosi Otjb Own Coebespondent.) LONDON, December 8. British agriculturalists are keeping the question, of branding "foreign" meat and other produce well to the front. And in doing so they do not conceal the fact that their chief reason is self-interest. Many New Zealanders agree that branding would be a good thing. If it did mean that meat branded " New Zealand " could"%?fc be fraiidulently sold as '-English," it would, it is averred, secure also that the vast quantities of Australian and Argentine mutton- now grouped under the generic heading " New Zealand " and palmed off as such, would have to be sold for Avhat it really is. And the advantages, it-is contended, would cotmteract the disadvantages. I have, however, already given the full opinions pro and con. Certain it is that if British agriculturists have their way, all meat will have to be marked ; and, by common agreement, if marking there is to be, New Zealand leads the way.

As I told you a fortnight ago, Lord Templetown, the president of the National Agricvdfrural Union, and the committee of that influential body, visited the C. C. and D. Company's works at Nelsons' wharf to inspect the brand "V. It." ; New Zealand Government/ under a crown, sent to London on some carcases by the Gear Meat Company, of Wellington. At the request of this committee, Mr H. C Cameron, the New Zealand produce inspector, yesterday Lad two 'of the carcases — one whole, the other in jpints — on view at Anderton's Hotel, and, prior to the opening of the .annual general meeting of the National Agricultural Union, he explained the position of New Zealand with regard to branding, and exploited New Zealand mutton. Everyone agreed with Lord Templetown that if New Zealand sent such meat to this country, as the sample shown, the colony had no need to fear branding. Mr Cameron would have liked to discourse at length on New Zealand mutton, its good qualities, and the fraudulent practices carried on here, but the rules of the union only permitted of members speaking. A prominent place on the agenda was given to the following: — " That this meeting views with great regret and disappointment the continued absence of legislation for the prevention of the sale of imported meat as British, a practice which widely prevails, and places the home producer at a serious disadvantage, and urges the Government to introduce a bill next session to ensure that all carcases, whether imported dead or slaughtered at the port of entry, shall be plainly marked by a process which has now been proved perfectly feasible and effective." _ Lord Templetown, in introducing the motion, said the carcase of New Zealand meat shown in the room proved that it was feasible and practicable to brand meat without disfiguring it. Mr Lord, who proposed the resolution given above for adoption, said that marking was a matter which they had asked for for years. They had been told it could not be done ; last meeting they had seen a machine by which it was said marking could be accomplished. Now they saw the thing actually done. A week or' two ago they had been, where the sheep on exhibition had come from; he had seen the brand after the meat had been cooked ; it could not be rubbed or scratched out. The only way to remove it was by cutting the skin away. The question of branding had been before the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and had passed a Royal Commission. Yet no legislation resulted. Continuous pressure should

be^brought upon all concerned. Meat was brought "to England and killed at its port of arrival, and was sold as "home grown"; meat was brought frozen and sold in the same way. "Foreigners" said their meat was superior to English ; if that was so they would have nothing to grumble at in marking-. They all certainly had to admit that the sheep they had seen in the room was "beautiful," and if it was marked surely it would be a mark of good quality. It was said that tho colonies were against the marking ; if that M - as so, it was evident they would not care to go in for it. But the British agriculturist must look after " No. 1." He did not know whether the Government would ask them to mark the genuine homegrown meat or not, but he thought that, in the interest of the public, people should know what they were purchasing. Mr Brown (Lincolnshire) seconded, and advocated the in.irking of everything, even to potatoes and milk. The resolution was unanimously agreed to. At a later stage, after the conclusion of the ordinary meeting, and when the council of the union was sitting, Alderman Grummett (the chairman) proposed a vote of thanks-to Mr H. C. Cameron, and remarked that, after what they had seen, all would agree that branding would do a great deal of good to their New Zealand friends. Mr Egar seconded, and said such mutton Was a credit to New Zealand. _ Mr Nowell Harvey, in supporting the motion, said this matter of branding was another matter in which the colonies were leading the way. He believed what they had seen would be one of the best means for branding British as well as colonial meat : he hoped the British and colonial meat would be marked, snd then " foreigners " wovdd be out of it altogether. - The vote having been carried, - Mr H. C. Cameron, in expressing his thanks for the vote, said he recognised -that' m a Freetrade country foreign produce had to be admissible. New Zealand sent meat such as they had jseen, but it was not the desire of the colonists that the butchers in England should reap all the benefit by fraud.—(Applause.) What they wanted was that if there was Freetrade there should be fair trau> From a colonial point of view, it might be said that they did not want a brand because the Mew Zealand meat was of the quality that had been seen. But New Zealand meat was ber- sold as English to people who wanted English, while inferior meat was being sold as "New Zealand" to the damage of JSew Zealand's reputation. Members of the union had all been able to see for themselves.—(Applause.) The proceedings then terminated.