A CONTRA ACCOUNT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13957, 17 July 1909, Page 4

A CONTRA ACCOUNT.

While tho outlook for holders and growers of wheat for'export aro so good, tho latest news from Loudon rcgafdiug the frozen meat market is a sot-off to tho general satisfaction. The export of frozen moat from New Zealand this season has been much larger than heretofore, and it is understood to have been meat of high quality, yet the market has been so depressed that the prices hoped for and calculated on have not been realised. The reasons for this arc obvious •enough. The competition of Argentina counts for much; hut the great depression oftrado that has afflicted and still afflicts tho Old Country is the chief cause of tho failure of demand to keep up prices. So many people'who in good times are ■pieat-eaters have to economise on their o'utchers' bills when times are hard.

Another rather curious tiling Las been mentioned in this connection. It is said that in cold weather the demand for frozen meat falls off. This may he explained by the influence of "suggestion." One does not care to think of icy foods in winter. Last winter and spring were unusually cold, and (tho only way in which wc hear of such weather short of great, snowstorms or blizzards) our cricket news Las told us of continuous unsummer.like weather of late. The meat importers and agents in London are endeavouring to form a "combine" to keep tip prices, but it is very doubtful whether it can be made a success, there arc so many individual shippers and agents wliose interests have to be consulted. A combination to keep up • prices, moreover, does not seem a promising way of increasing demand, and with two million sheep and lambs in store, as stated, increased demand is the* immediate desideratum. The next step must be to seek new markets, and this quest on the Continent, where nnder other circumstances markets couTd be found, is blocked by the local tariffs on/the one side and the preference tariffs on the other.