A NEW ZEALANDER ABROAD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2215, 16 June 1891, Page 4

A NEW ZEALANDER ABROAD.

Mr Henry Chamberlain, a settler in the Ellesmere district, who has been j on a visit to the Old Country, informs the Lyttelton Times that he travelled over 6000 miles through Great Britain, and took the opportunity to watch the interest of the New Zealand frozen meat trade in the London market" To do this thoroughly he attended regularly as a buyer, and was thus enabled to see all the various moves. Eis remarks on the subject are well worth noting. He says that the Americans show a dexterity in promoting their own interests which we New Zealanders wonld do well to imitate. They are sending enormous quantities of cattle into England, and have se* cured a concession of one half railway freight on all their meat on all lines. He has seen as many as 6000 head at a time, of as prime cattle as ever we had here, tied np at Deptford, and at other ports where American vessels unload, ready for sale. These cattle are transmitted all over the country, and the railway concession gives the shippers an opportunity of selling in every market, and at large profit. Mr Chamberlain contends that if the Americans bad our mutton they would make£a good thing of it. But as it is, though the British public must have our meat, it is so bandied by middlemen, agents, and salesmen, that though the ultimate price secured for it is as good as that given for English mutton, the profits are frittered away Having spoken to many influential persons at Borne on the subject, be considers that we have been blind to eur own interests not to have formed a company to take in hand distribution direct to the retailers. Sueh a company only requires floating in the colony to sechre all the necessary capital being subscribed freely at Home, and the profits are so great that there would be a certainty of success. Wherever Mr Chamberlain went he fell in with New Zealand meat, and he found that there is no prejudice against it now. Nelson Brothers have done more towards improving the status of the trade at Home than any other firm; but much more requires to be done.