FROZEN PRODUCE LESTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2950, 28 September 1910, Page 22

FROZEN PRODUCE LESTER.

FIRMNESS IN THE MEAT MARKET. NOVEL CONS IGN M ENTS. (Ftov Oua Own Co»REsro>tr>K>:T.; LONDON". August IP. While the selling capacity of the frozer ; n.eat market has. as is only oat urn! at this time of the year, been limited, and complaint-, are heard in many quarters about poor demand, and so on. it is only right to ecnphasjse the fact that in spite of the season the level of prices is consistently i maintained. This may be taken as the i best of signs in a market at this time of ■ the year, and goc-.s some way to confirm what I said about bedrock in prices a fortnight, since. A rather less liberal rlow of frozen meat arrivals has aided In this tendency in both lamb and mutton carcases and beef, and the trade here, assuming that reports of a subsequent movement- to stiii shorter supplies are correct, i>s content to agree that the tail end of the frozen lamb season will be a good one. An anticipated shortage in supplies of Dutch mutton later will help that market also, and it is a satisfactory feature that New Zealand and Australian mutton stocks have l>een considerably reduced just recently. Although stocks of beef arc heavy, it must j be said that this meat is now going into consumption freely, and, what is bettor. j higher rates are ruling for frozen beef , owing to the strengthening of chilled prices on shorter supplies. A LESSENED TROUBLE. There is not so much talk about bonetaint in frozen beef now. People assume that the ruling conditions of the atmoj sphero at the time of slaughter must have !a good deal to do with this trouble. MEAT TP.ADK IK HOLLAND. A wonl about meat, trade projects on

the Continent of Europe. Among these who are inquiring as to the advantages of frozen meat imports are the Dutch. A committee is sitting on the question, but it is thought that its decision will not be favourable, as it will not sec much benefitto the nation from such a. trade. This is rather anticipating matters, but it is what I hear on the best authority—namely, from the lips of a member of that committee. Holland will not be such a difficult country to convert to frozen meat as Austria and Germany. Dutch people, however, will, I think, only be customers for beef. This seems to be the national meat dish, to the exclusion of mutton. FROZEN KOSHEK HEAT. With the help of the Shechita Board in London, a trade in refrigerated Jewish kosher meat has been set on foot, a first consignment of 140 foraquarters of beef arriving in London from the River Plate Fresh Meat Company's works in Argentina on the Bth met., and doing well, I find at the time of writing, on the mjarket. This is not the first time that such a trade has b&on attempted, but it is the first occasion on which the chances for its success have been good. A regular and frequent supply has been arranged for. Some slight oppesition to the • innovation may, perhaps, bo looked for from the Jewish public as they are starting with antirefrigeration prejudices just a«3 the Gentiles did 30 years ago. The religious authorities guarantee the correct koshcring of this new supply, and there seems no reason, why New Zealand should not in course of time contribute to this food supply of a fast-iner-easing community. Last year thero were slaughtered in England for Jewish consumption about 40,000 oxen, 15,000 calves, and 36,000. sheep, and with a cheapened supply these figures would bo left far behind as statistics of consumption. j OHILLED AUSTRALIAN BEEF. I The third consignment of beef brought to England under the Linley process at a chilling temperature from Queensland lias , turned'out better than the second, which. ; it is said, wont wrong because calico and not stockingette wrapper* were used. The 1350 hindquarters this time were all free from mould, but their quality was against their making as much as best Argentine stuff. Their condition gave them the advantage, however, over frozen Australian ' hinds of a similar quality, and so Mr j Linldy may count his Marathon shipment a success. ' The fact that the voyage was orv> of 59 days speaks much for the possibilities of the process. The trade over here, in being 4old that the Leef from the point of view of quality is not up to chilling standard, is only tokl half the truth. The fact is that Queensland has not got the kind of cattle which can provide meat to compete with the chilled boe-f from Argentina now on the English market, _ As a producer of frozen beef, Queensland's posii tion is not questioned, but that is another I thing. j ARGENTINE HARES. ! Argentina proposes 1o start an export trade in frozen hares, as the pest is now becoming a real nuisance in that South American Republic. A Governmental i committee of experts is considering the question, and there is a bill before Congress to empower the Government to pay for the killing of hares. Free rail transport to encourage the trade is a thing ! talked of, and should the Government's ' function be given to the industry it will ! probably be" pushed energetically. The English market will, doubtless, bo looked to to help this output; meanwhile scientists, as in Australia, arc investigating other means of exterminating the p?*t. SCAREMONGERS. Just at rhe height of the "silly season,' when the dailv press is on the lookout for stories. Mr Rowland Hunt. M.P., whom the House of Commons listens to only to laugh at, has been sending inflammatory letters to the newspapers to raise a scare about cancer in refrigerated meat from North America. Putting on one side the fact that North America is fast ceasing to become a r/jpplier of meat to Great Britain, there remains the harm which snust be done to the genera* frozen meal trade in the public's eyes by such canards, hut the scare does not seem to be catching on this time. Another Individual in London just now bent on doing all the harm Jie can to the frozen meat trade is an irresponsible ind irrepressible man, who }Kisc<l as a "professor" at the Paris Refrigerating Congress in 1908, as one or two New Zealand* rs will remember. That was when he had not seen it to his advantage to break with cold storage, and I may mention that since then ho has been heavily fined in Paris for illegally practising as a doctor of medicine. He has now established himself in offices in London, and is seeking to get publicity in the press for his alarming statements as to the dangers of frozen meat, but I happen to know that, certain correspondence which he previously had with frozen meat companies may, if now produced, be very effectual in r.kftokJesj hi* ej/jnuence.