Equalising Meat Shipments.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7270, 25 July 1893, Page 3

Equalising Meat Shipments.

The London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes : —With reference to the frozen meat trade I had a long chat with Mr W. Nelson, of Nelson Bros., who has just arrived from New Zealand. He thinks that New Zealand sellers incur some loss through the present practice cf rushing meat on the market isrespective of demand. “Jf the New Zealand consignees could only agree," said Mr Nelson, ** not to force the meat on an un« favourable market, New Zealand mutton would be fully a penny a pound better in price. That is how we can get better prices. We are prepared to hold on, if necessary, and have had as many as 350,001' carcases on our hands at one time. We have cold storage J space of our own, and so can oiford to bide our time, but storage at the docks is expensire, and so mutton is pushed into the market to save these expenses. But had it been in our hands we should have more than covered the cost of storage by the improvement in price. But of course,” continued Mr Kelson, laughing, “ this sounds as if we wanted a monopoly. Well, perhaps wo would not object, but what I say is the fact, irrespective of our interest in its being true. The frozen meat trade is a very difficult one to conduct, owing to its being so intermittent. Part of the time there is no cargo or next, to none. At other times they are hard pushed to find room for all that is offering. Thus the ships run part of the time at a loss, and (hat loss has to be recouped out of the paying season. You might put it that 20 ships have to be constantly run, because that number would be required to take the cargoes in the busy season, while in the slack season there ■ are not cargoes for more than 10. Now, if the shipments could only be more equalised by some mutual arrangement, then say 15 ships would do ell the year round, and relieve the others. This would enable freights to be lowered, besides giving a tendency to realisation of better prices." “ Lord Onslow’s bill providing for the branding of imported meat is a wholly useless and mischievous 1 one," continued Mr Nelson. "It would be I extremely costly and inconvenient to carry ( out, and would be useless as a means of identification, becauss a carcase could not bo branded all over. The thing is well meant, but it would be of no use, and it would c vuee no end of expense and trouble to those who had to carry it out. Besides, a brand could easily be removed if this were desired.”