BAD FROZEN RABBITS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2443, 9 January 1901, Page 7

BAD FROZEN RABBITS.

THE LONDON COMPLAINTS. The complaints regarding Australian frozen rabbits have of late caused much discussion in Melbourne. It is proposed to hold a searching inquiry into the causes, if any. The following letter, addressed to the " British Australasian " by Messrs Kerry and Hull, of Central Markets, London, E.C, puts the case against both Australian and New Zealand shipments clearly : — That the colonial rabbit trade here this autumn has been in a very bad state no one connected with the trade would wish to deny. The reasons for this are very apparent to wholesale dealers like ourselves, who in the course of a season handle large quantities of most of the brands imported. One of the main causes was the shipment to London of large consignments of Victorian rabbits, to arrive during the months of June and July, when markets are quiescent, so that when the trade was ready to take rabbits they were not procurable, except those rendered dry and perished by long storage, these conditions being accentuated by the fact that the quality of the rabbits was poor, by reason of their being out-of-season goods. This had the effect of entirely stopping the most desirable class of trade, that of the good-class tradesmen, many of whom, who last season used eoores of crates, dropped the trade altogether after the first few sample orders. There is, however, a far more serious charge to be brought against some of the Melbourne shipp erg — viz., that of packing stale rabbits, Tendering the Victorian Government stamp on the crates an absurdty. This charge may be challenged, but we have seen very many crates in which, while the four end rabbits in the crate have been sound and good, the remaining 20 have been stale and unfit for food. The reason for such packing is obvious. We do not say that this practice is general — it is not — but at least one shipment was largely made up of cases packed in this 'manner, all of which bore the stamp of approval of the Victorian Government. How, or by whqm, the final examination of these goods is made before shipment we do not know, but (and on this point we wish to be very emphatic) it is totally inadequate. The careless (not to use a stronger term) manner of packing New Zealand rabbits this year is, with one or two exceptions, very marked. Shippers have apparently relied _pn their reputation of past seasons, and shipments of goods with the names of well-known packers on the crates, with " specially selected," " special grade," or what not added as deEcriptive of the contents, have contained a large percentage of stale and putrid rabbits. This can be no " ship damage," as we have examined hundreds of crates in which there have been some good, bright rabbits, together ■with those absolutely putrid. The good reputation of certain brands has entirely gone, and instead of tradesmen asking for this _or that shipper's goods, we constantly receive communications such as " Send me any mark except ' So-and-so's.' " There was never a season with such bright prospects for good, honestly packed rabbits, nor one in which tfce goods have been bo unreliable. Prices are lower generally, besides which the market is flooded with goods much below quoted market prices, on account of the scandalously bad packing. The future of the trade is in the packers' hands, and if they pack honestly and ship in sound condition, that future will be a good one; if they do not, the trade is doomed. We write this as " dealers " handling no inconsiderable quantities ; we are not importers, and axe thankful that we are not.