"Tom” Mackenzie in London.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2572, 24 August 1899, Page 3

"Tom” Mackenzie in London.

When Mr Mackenzie went Home, says the Auckland Star , there was great difficulty in selling mutton at 3d per pound. When he left there was a steady market for more than we can supply at from 4d to 4£d. Of course, many circumstances and agencies have contributed to this improvement, but Mr Mackenzie has done his full share towards putting the trade on a footing favourable to the producer, and breaking down the monopoly exercised by the meat salesmen in England, who considered the trade only from the English vendors’ standpoint, in the market o! Smithfield Mr Mackenzie has done yeoman service, and his efforts have been specially successful in checking the scandalous robbery of producers carried out on the Pretext that meat was landed in a damaged condition. Mr Mackenzie satisfied himself thst not rpore than one carcase in five so condemned had really suffered any injury. He is still burning with indignation and enthusiasm for a re? form of the system of insurance upon frozen meat cargoes, and he will make trenchant remarks op this subject when he takes the platform, a§ he intends to do at no distant date. Mr Mackenzie’s efforts and his personal geniality were so widely appreciated in London that he won for himself a wide circle of friends, who testified their esteem, not only by entertaining him at a big farewell dinner, but by presenting him with a quantity of very valuable plate. He has formed certain practical ideas for the improvement of the trade in meat and other colonial produce, and these he will shortly submit for public consideration.