AUSTRALIAN MEAT-SUPPLY.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13930, 11 February 1914, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN MEAT-SUPPLY.

It,is.not generally'known, but at the present time Australia is absolutely unable to'supply her orders for meat. Cable orders for large quantities of canned meats arrive daily from all parts of the world, and merchants find it impossible to .fill them. Recently" one firm in Sydney had <an order for 10,000" cases of canned beef by cable from the United States, and had to reply '"impossible, to procure." The same firm could buy to-day 60,000 cases for various customers, and cannot get it anywhere or at any price. Every inch of space on the steamers for America and Canada is occupied with lines .such as frozen meat, butter, canned meats, wool, and even onions. More vessels are urgently required for the Pacific ports of North America. By a large number of people it is imagined that Australia can supply much larger quantites of produce than she has been doing. This is a mistake. Her capacity is limited. It must be remembered that each year there is a larger local demand as population increases, and ihe increase of crops or stock will not,, at bur present, rate of progress, do more than supply that demand, so^anything that is shipped to new countries such as North America will come off what is shipped as a rule to Great Britain. Tho price, however, will be the factor; the country which offers the best terms will get the produce. It is all in tho interest of the producer, who at last is going to get his fair share of the good things going. He has had many years of low prices. Now/ to all appearance he is going to get something back. —"Advocate."