COMMERCIAL MATTERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11121, 8 November 1907, Page 5

COMMERCIAL MATTERS.

WOOL PROSPECTS AND JUTE SACKS. • ; ' ■ ■

THE FROZEN MEAT MARKET.

"The July wool sales were on while 1 was in London," said Mr A. F. Kennedy to a Herald representative when asked for any information on commercial matters. '.'I was able to institute a comparison between the values there arid here, and note that the buyers Were cdm. plaining of the prices; paid in the Dominion. The average sales at Home showed that they had paid last season a figure in New Zealand about equal to its actual value in London, showing a resultant loss to the. direct buyer of equal to a penny a pound. I visited Bradford ori two separate occasions, and went all through the industries from the [ top-making to the clothmakirig. When 1 went I heard a lot of complaint as to the unsatisfactory yield of. the low crossbred wools from New Zealand. Thiscomplaint has been brought about by\ the fact that the previous year's clip, had been a phenomenal one, and although last year's clip was riot bad it suffered by comparison.- Before operating in NeW Zealand this , year they; are very anxious to J hav^ cable advice as to the f condition and qualiiiy ■of the . new season's clip. "The second occasion' of my visit ;to Bradford was to;. attend a . conference got up by, the manufacturers ofßfad: ford, - to ( which, through, the brokers/ they, invited all the available' representatives pf New Zealand > arid Australia ;in London, for the; purpose of pointing ?but the damage done to the ■manufactured.ar-; tide by the introduction of vegetable matter into the wool; It was pointed put that fibres from , the cheaper quality of jute bags gets into the wool., and being of thb same color, is hard to. sort out; consequently the bits of fibre comb out the same as the wool; and are -not detectable in the fabric until' it- has, passed ■ from the top-inakers \ to'; the ' mariuf ac* turer and is taken but, in the finished piece of cloth. ,: Then:;th^eiVsmall pieces show .put ; the vegetable '^ fibre i will ! riot take ; the dye the , saime , as. the • animal fibre." Mr Kennedy Went on, to explain that this meant cpns^derabe cost, to' get the fibres taken but, r a" large number of hands b^ing employed purely v fprjihis purpose. The disability was recognised by th,e cplpnial representatives; the ohly retneHy seemed- to beioUriipprt a higher C[uiility of jute bigj' but the difficulty was as to who should pa,y, neither 1 the original producer nor % the •■' wdol-brpker being the brie who goffers; but the ' topraakev, ttift; damage, "twit !^ beitig dLete4tyßd ? until the wool} is parsed over. • -? ■ Questioned as to whether 'it would .riot be possible to trace the' .particular' lots; Mr Kennedy^ said ; tha^twpuld 'be impossible; 7 being such' ajsniall item; arid where thirty or tarty ; ! lpts: were ivfxt* in together all trace wa^ los^ Ml -t|iat they cdiild do was to distribiite a report asking the various wbolibrdking: associations to bring the matter before ..their clients to see; if they opuld riot help to obviate the cause of complaint. : "Did yoii gaari any idea as to the permanency of the market," asked the reporter.- : . ■; 'v:::-.r';C.^:-'':L. >V-^' .".'-'...-.-. • , ' 'We found the inarket, in Bra4 ford, ' ' said Mr Kennedy, Vyery active indeed, but more particularly in th^ finer wools. The demand for merino and tl^e finer tops was exceedingly brisk. But lower prices had to : be ekpected for^ crossbreds, arid in which we are more ; -particularly interested. ; The gerierat tone' amongst the Bradford; buyers .when I ; was there suggested that for the ■coming season we would haVe to acbept prices. here' a penny a pound reduction pri the "cprresponding period of last year. There seemed to be no doubt that the state of the market Warranted; theiri- in 'this attitude;*' •

FROZEN MEAT. : In regard to 6-ur frozen- meat Mr Kennedy said he had given a good deal of attention to the subject, arid it seemed to him to have gofc into a charinel as : ber tween supplies and 'consumer which there seemed no possibility of altering. He found that the njeat was being carefully handled, and one 'saw it in the best shops labelled New Zealand meat. The prejudice was ■ disappearing. ; More particularly was this: so with lambV While he >vas in . London the question -was brought ,up jbefore ; the^^ CasingtGonuttittee of the Houas of ConurionSj^ whoapproved of New Zealand froze)! lamb being placed upon the daily bili K of fare. It was everywhere highly spoken of . "On the whole I don't think we have got anything to fear as to the souridnesß of our trade," said Mr Kennedy., The homekilled meat was: still in favor by the wealthier classes, but this was not to be wondered at, seing, how well the cattle were handled 1 . The bullocks were landed from, the White , Star steamers, walking 6ff and into .the stockyard to ,be killed as though on shore all the time. The beasts were well stalled and fed, and the journey being short were' really in better condition whferi they left the boat: than before they went on. -From a commercial point of view Mr Kennedy, s i trip was ia. inost valuable one, owjrig t& the insight ifc gave him into all matters connected with Qiir great industries. Although highly pleased with, the voyage, and looking, well in health, he is pleased to be back again among his old friends in Gisborne/. He was. warmly , welcomed home to-day by many who had riot been able to be present when the steamer arrived last evening. ' ; '"/