NEW ZEALAND TINNED MEATS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13430, 22 March 1907, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND TINNED MEATS.

WAR OJTFICJE ENQU)IttIES.

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 21. x • Major Long, who eqmes to the colony accredited by the British Government to enquire into the colonies' ( tinned meat industries, with a view of Ascertaining the possibilities of contracts for supplies being entered into between companies and the British W*r Office, ar- $ rived from Sydney to-day. Some time since it was stated the colony's freezing companies were not likely to tender as the supply of tinned meats \n New Zealand was too small to come up to the minimum requirements qf tb,e. War Office. On this aspect ;pf, lncase,. Major Long said it was erroneous to assume that the Government would, require 3,000,0001 b. of tinned meat per year. He indicated ;that the War Office , would be , • prepared, to enter inip. contracts for., much smaller quantities. „ Further, sup- : ptfes under contracts would not require , to be delivered in, bulk j gradual, con- j signments at regular. periods $nly w^nKl; b-i looked for.. Major Long we?it on te s say that he was aware freezing. was regarded by the meat companies as of pri-,-ihary, importance in this ; country,, {but , he appeared to b© hopeful that his mission ~ would not be altogether fruitless. Naturally,, he said, the British Government would give preference to, colonial suppliers, but thisvoould only, be don© , where prices were admitted. It could not, , for instance, be expected that contracts would be pla'pediwith the colonies .; if prices were mucb.iabove thqse, charged for the American .article, nor did che burk'the fact thfet there Js a great prejudice in the, army . against American. , tinned meat since the Chicago disclo- . sures. Major Long is not concerned only with thp capabilities, pf tlw colonies to supply tinnejdLmeats. His enquiries mill axtepdto^e system of insPQetion,ja vogne, and,^i§,, quality of the meata. tinned, , Inqdentilly, he will also.hajfe something tp say }n his report as to the, ady^sabjeness of entering into contracts after considering the question in all its bearings^ both. frpm .an Imperial and commercial point of view. After inspecting p WelUngioa, and making complete enquiries abtfiri ilie system of government auperr vision and inspection, he will, in all , likelihood, go on to Auckland, thence to Canterbury, Otago, ..and, t Snbßcqnontly' he w^ll return to Sydney, and prosecute his missjpn in the Com- v ; momrqalth. , } , .; -,(,'.