Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1891.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5988, 7 February 1891, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1891.

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. The first consignments of Now Zealand mutton sent to the English market realized from 6'd to Gkl per lb, bub owing to the heavy charges for freezing and conveyance the net return to the producer was not a great deal more iv 1884 than in 1890, when the average price bub little exceeded 4d. In the early days of the industry few imagined that as time went o n there would be a big drop in the value of colonial mutton without a corresponding fall in the English and Scotch product. All parties were agreed that the Now Zealand article was first-class, and that it only required to be better known to be appreciated by Home consumers. During the past six years frozen mutton in increasing quantities has been sent to England. There has been no check on the developement of the industry, and thus the great desideratum of regular supplies obtained. Yet to-day it is found that instead of the difference between the values of fehe Home and colonial products being nearly bridged , as reasonably expected, tho distance) has widened. The accepted explanation of this is that the retailer controls the market. Tho Home butcher has proved himself to bo master of the situation, and he must have reaped an enormous profit from colonial importations. It has been assorted that the bulk of the New Zealand froaen mutton is sold j as English or Scotch, but, of course, it is impossible to. obtain exact data on the subject. We read of colonists visiting the establishments of Home retailers, and that nearly all of the latter declare that they did not sell a pound of frozen mutton. A close inspection, however, revealed that the obnoxious article was exposed for sale on the premises. Nothing but a most stringent law will prevent fraud of the sort. The temptation of gain is too great to bo resisted. The wrong both to the English consumer and tho colonial producer has been represented to the Home Government, but up to the present no legislation has been effected to prevent the injury. Fraud and prejudice are the great enimies which the frozen meat trade encounters. The prejudice is nearly altogether fehe outcome of the fraud. Thousands of tradesmen who are making large profits from the sale of New Zealand meat under a false name are interested in proclaiming alleged demerits, The great and growing colonial industry has still a stiff fight to undergo before matters are placed pn a proper footing.

-tea will m'obabty always be a differ j enoe in pdoe in favor of the Home-grown article in comparison with the colonial, bub it is impossible to conceive that for any considerable time longer the wholesale value of the one will remain double that of the other. According to latest advices, the wholesale price of English and Scotch mutton was from 8d to lOd, whilst the best New Zealand frozen mutton was being sold at 4|d. There should be room to advance the price of the latter to 601, in view of the fact that in numerous retail establishments New Zealand meat is sold as Home-grown, and the consumers cannot toll the difference. During the current year probably a million and a half carcases will be forwarded from this colony to Great Britain. On that quantity a rise in prico of a penny per lb would make a difference of L 375,000, almost every penny of which should go into the pockets of producers. An increase of three halfpence would give an addition of L 562,500, which sum would nearly approach the total net amount receivable by growers at present rates for a million and a half sheep. The prospective, benefit is so great that; no stono should be left unturned to secure a fair price being paid for our mutton at Home. It has been estimated that over seventy thousands carcases will be exported from Gisborne this year. An advance of a penny per lb on that number would mean an increased return of j L 14,000 or L 15,000, one-half of which j would be received by sheepfarmers. If exported mutton rose to sixpence per lb at Home the fortunes of our pastoralists would be made. The net result would be two-thirds increase on values now obtained under the arrangement with Nelson Bros. The agreement entered into was based on an average price of fourpence ; but if a permanent advance took place in London values, of course, any future arrangement would have to be much more favorable to the producers, whilst no doubt the freezing firm would also be benefited by the increase. The present most unsatisfactory position of the trade has impelled the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company to take action with a view of ascertaining the best means of bridging the gap which now exists between the price of English and colonial mutton. From the Wanganui Herald we learn that Mr Frederick Battley, Inspector of the Company, has taken the subject in hand, and will go throughly into the whole of the details from the time the sheep are killed in the colony until they are sold by tho butchers in Great Britain, either as Home-fed or in their character of New Zealand frozen meat. '• Mr Battley, " says our contemporary, " will make an exhaustive examination into the whole business, and be in a position, when he has finished, to clearly lay before the numerous clients of the Company the causes which have so long prevented them from reaping their proper share of the profits of the frozen meat trade. Mr Battley will not, of course, rest content with tracing the damaging causes, but will devise means to counteract them, and secure to the growers of N.Z. frozen mutton something like a fair price for their shipments. Mr Battley is now busily examining into the freezing, packing, and shipment of the meat at this end, and will leave for England in March next, watching the method and efficacy of treatment during transit and unloading and storage when arrived. When in England Mr Battley will scrutinize closely the different stages the meat has to pass through before finally reaching the consumers, and discover if possible, why tho hitter should pay a price so far in excess of that the shippers get for it. That Mr Battley will succeed in his difficult task we have the fullest confidence, and feel assured that the stock owners of New Zealand will ere long have ample cause to thank him for a greatly improved condition of the colony's frozen meat trade." By tho R.M.S. Arcadia, which left Ply mouth for Australia on January Bth, Mr Uttermarck was a passenger for Gisboruo. A large quantity of grass seed ia now being gent away from this port, tho Australia to-day taking 538 sacks. Mr C, D. Pitt advertises for sale 20 cases of Island oranges, to be sold on Monday next at noou. The s.s. Australia on her voyage from north called at a place near Opotiki, and also at VVaipiro and Tokomaru, reaching here at 9 30 this morning. The Revs. Munroe, Me Call urn, Mclvinuey and other Auckaind clergyman were on board the Hauroto to-day bound south to attend the Church Synod. We are requested to remind our readers that the poll for the supplement iry loan of L2OO for Riverside road will be taken at the County Uoujicil office on Monday next. It is announced that Miss Campbell Thomson, an accomplished pupil of Profes- ; Harvey, is prepared to take a limited number of music pupils. The s a. Hauroto is expected to arrive at about 6 p.m. Launches leave the wharf on arrival of tho steamer and aC 7 p. m The first contract on the Ormond-Opotiki road was passed, and taken over from the contractor, Mr O'Neil, on j hursday lust by Mr Gold-Smith, District .Surveyor. The second contract was started ou Monday last by Mr Mooney and party. The following passengers have been booked at the Union Company's office up to three this afternoon. Per s.s. Hauroto : Miss Cannon; ciev. Mr and Mrs Gardiner and aervuut (for Napier); Mrs Burgess and child (for Dunedinj ; per s.s. Man.pouri: Rev. Father Kehoe, Mr Hayes, and .viiss Staitc (for Auckland) ; Mr J. Johnstone(i'orSy«lney) A man, who claims the privilege usually accorded to first offenders of not having his name published, walked along to the gaol last evening and was so persistent in his exuberances of beery conversation, refusing to go aAvay from the po ice station, that the officers of the law locked him up. Mr Boouh, R. ML, administered tho usu.il caution this morning. Prizes have been awarded to the following pupils of tne senior part of tho District High School for their success in the examination hold last Christmas :— For passing the matriculation examination : Robert Carswell, Adolphua Scotter, Etta EaUer, Eva Dej.,autour, and Kate Drummond. In the lower division prizes were given to the first and second in the annual examination, viz., Hedley Thomson and Murielle Richardson. Adjutant and Mrs Bishop, of the Salvation Army, arrive this afternoon from Auckland and conduct a series of special services in Gisborne during the ensuing week. The officers arc "big guvs " of the Salvation Army and their meetings will be we'l worth going to hear. Tho mst special meetiug will bo this evening, and of course to-morrow meetings will be held all day. The barracks have been handsomely decorated for the occasion. On Tuesday evening a welcome tea will take place, and on Thursday at the Ci>:y Rink the Adjutant will deliver a lecture on General Booth's scheme. A very pleasing little ceremony took place at the office of Mr J. W. Bright, manager of the New Zealand Loon and Mercantile Agency Company, this morning, when v few of tho members of the Matawhoro Literary anrl Debating Society assembled to make a presentation to Mr G. J. A Johnstone, on the occasion of his marriage. The present was a handsome clock. Mr Bright, who made the presentation, referred to the services rondero'l the Society during its last session by its ate so.crpt ry, and conveyed t.h<> £joo<l wishes of the Society to Mr and Mrs JohnMr Johnstone responded in feeling terms,