THE DOMINION'S PRODUCE

Southland Times, Issue 17267, 11 February 1913, Page 6

THE DOMINION'S PRODUCE

HANDLING AT HOME. MU LYSNAR'S OBSERVATIONS. (Per United Press Association.) GISBORNE, February 10. Mr \V. D. Lysnar. just returned from a visit to England on behalf of the New Zealand Producers’ Association, in the couise of a lecture under the auspices of the Association in order to give a practical demonstration of the way in which New Zealand prices were kept at a low ebb. produced and piloted from charts of prices issued by the different London firms for 1909-10-11. New Zealand mutton. lie said, was better than Scotch mutton. In 1909 Scotch mutton was up to 7Hd. while New Zealand was down below lid. In 1910 Scotch mutton was up ■ to Bt-.d a pound, and New Zealand o 7 »d, ■ and for one day only j Scotch mutton averaged OTfid and New Zealand I<gd. During all this period the retail pricbs remained practically the same. "The reason is." said Mr Lysnar, "that the Scotchman Is there to look after his rights, and the New Zealander is not.” The market was rigged to suit buyers at Home, and not to suit producers. The Smlthfield market prices were fixed by the weakest holder. The objection raised by the speculator that nearly all the meat was sold at this end. and that, therefore, the producers should not Interefere was not well founded. Figures showed that over 50 per cent, of the meat in the North Island was shipped on owner's account. He asked. "Are not those who do ship, and would whip, if better facilities are available, entitled to consideration?" He claimed tiiat tire dairy and other producers were entitled to some consideration. The meat buyers had not a total monopoly of the export trade. This year the great bulk of the dairy produce was being shipped on factories' account. These factory owners should not be denied better facilities because the meat speculator objects. The conditions under which wool was handled were most unsatisfactory. Bales were dumped on the wharves, and it was left for days, and sometimes weeks with tarpaulins on it. The dumps were broken, and it remained in that condition waiting for barges. The wool was often made wet on the wharves, and sometimes by leaking barges. The producers thus got a reduced price as a result, and did not know it. He had 19 bales for sale in London while he was there, and was curi'ons to see them and satisfy himself that they were not in good condition. He was advised that they were all right. but when lie insisted lie was told that lie could not see them, as they Old not know where they were. He told Mr Shelton to look at the bales, and see wnether there was anything wrong. fie had samples of wool with him now. and had a note signed by the head salesman to say that it was damaged by barge water in going up the Thames. The bottom of the hold was sodden. He found tiiat tie had got 3d a pound less on the bale that was damaged. ay compared with the undamaged bales of the same brand. The agents said that it was an inferior class of wool, but he knew that it was clean fleecev all of it. The cltarges on wool in London were almost as great as the freight from New Zealand to London. Last year the wool-brokers raised their charges by 50 per cent., as man>* would find out when they got their accounts in. The producers could not do better than utilise Liverpool for their wool. _ The consolidated charge was Is Id and 5s 6d for London, P.nd 2s Id for Liverpool. They had facilities to show 20.000 bales at a sale in Liverpool, and sell it in a day. They were prepared to put Wapping Dock shed at the disposal of New Zealand. There was a depth of 29 feet of water there, and there would be no charge for carting or hand trucking, and it was connected by rail to Bradford. He quoted the Hon. T. Mackenzie s opinion upon the relative merits of London and Bristol. Mr Mackenzie's opinion was tiiat he could not sufficiently express dissatisfaction with the handling of the meat handled at some of the Port of London Authority's stores. The condition of the meat was far from what it ought to be. to use no more severe a term. He could not refer to the attitude of the dock authorities regarding the construction of stores and the improvement to shipping required at the southwest dock, which undoubtedly was the most convenient for the Smithfield market. In addition to the Albert and Victoria docks being much farther away the traffic was far more congested. It was almost Impossible at limes for the vans to make any progress at all. The handling of meal was done in a way that could not be other than detrimental. Speaking on behalf of the New Zealand producers lie would say that conditions thert* Would not be much longer put up Willi. Referring to the facilities at Avonmouth and Bristol the High Commissioner slated tiiat lie was much impressed with tiie advantages Avonmouth offered for the handling and distributing of refrigerated and cool chambered produce. He was particularly well satisfied with tiie dock equipments and tiie cold storage available, and was apparently convinced that so far as the distributing of New Zealand produce is concerned much of the Midlands and more still of tiie West country could bo covered witii advantage from Avonmouth. Referring to the question of Insurance, Mr Mackenzie stated that as far at any rate as Avonmonth is concerned he is of opinion that shippers ought to rest content with insurance against total loss and breakdown in tiie ships’ refrigerating machinery, which could he done, he says, at one-fifth of the present rate.