THE MEAT BOARD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16425, 8 May 1924, Page 6

THE MEAT BOARD.

ACTIVITIES IN LONDON

(P«r Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night

At a meeting of the Dominion executive of the Farmers' Union, information was received from the Meat Producers' Board relating to the recent activities of the Board. It was stated that, the latest information from the Board's London manager respecting the recent setback in lamb prices -was as follows: "Up to the time of the strike the lamb market appeared to be fairly firm and during the strike a fair quantity of lamb was disposed of, owing to the fact that it was impossible to obtain any supplies of chilled beef. Oh the cessation of the strike, however, the held-up shipments of chilled beef simply 'flooded the market, and Smithfield slumped very badly. Most of the retailers laid in heavy stocks of chilled beef, upon which they are making fine profits, and no doubt pushed beef against lamb. The selling consumption demand for lamb has been very disappointing during last month, as the weather is still cold, and this, no doubt, has affected the sale of lamb." The last cable advice from the London manager dated May 2nd, says: "Lamb market is now strong with good demand." It was hoped that, with the enormous number of visitors expected in London for the Exhibition, ' a greater demand for New Zealand lamb would be created, more particularly as the lamb season usually commenced about Easter. The Board's London managers "hare cooperated with the High Commissioner to bring pressure on the present Government to get them to insist upon l stocks of refrigerated meat held in the cold stores being published monthly, as was done in America and elsewhere. The Board was now receiving from its London office regular reports by an inspector who was appointed recently to watch the unloading of vessels at the other end. The presence of this officer already had led to better handling. Throught his reports, the Board had been able to institute several improvements. The officer also attended 1 surveys for damage and thus was in a position to locate where the damage occurs.