BRANDING OUR MEAT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 21 September 1923, Page 7

BRANDING OUR MEAT.

OLD EXPERIMENT’S SUCCESS

WHY NEGLECT OUR INTERESTS?

Mr H‘. C. Cameron, late Produce Commissioner for the New Zealand Government, in an interview, had something interesting to say about urn fraudulent sale of inferior meat m Emdand as New Zealand meat. AH Cameron drew attention to the men that a gentleman in tho meat trade n> recently reported as having said that, while New Zealand was affected detiimcntallv bv such action, wc were getting back” on them by our New Zea- ' hiiul meat being sold in England as Kimlisli meat. “I. take it," commented Mr Cameron, “that the expression •getting back on them' means that no .min an advantage. But 1 consider that it is a disadvantage having our meat sold as English. if our best meat is good enough to be sold as English, biirelv it is good enough to be sold as New‘Zealand. If the best of our minion and lamb is taken off the inaiTct and sold as English, it must leave a ere a ter proportion of our second quail t> in eat to bo sold as New Zealand meat-. If our best mutton and lamb, which ■>' stated to be sold as Knghs.i, were so.c •is New Zealand, the advertisement ioi the quality „l New Zealand meat could °“IU nxM miT'some definite brand that we could advertise, whereby -the merits of Now Zealand mutton and Jamb could he recognised, it would he a great advantage,” continued Mr t.ameiou. “Twenty years ago. when the question of fraudulent sales was under consideration, a proposal was made to hi and our mutton and lamb, -it unit tin. the Now Zealand Government made a tost'and sent Home to the High Commissioner ten carcases of, mutton nnncled o„ each leg, loin and shouldci. i ' carcases were cxlumtcd at SmuhheU market, where then- were hung for five •(lavs ami thawed out, Butchers, meiviiaiils, and others ju eie.hed m tmiiioat trade were mvi.tod fo inspect the carcases, and they did so. Daily, as the moat thawed, attempts were maoo to obliterate the brands am smudge them, but all alicmpis iailed. Attei hanging for five days, the carouses were cut up into ioinls and distributed. t£ ] took o los* oi mutton homo nun roasted it in (he ns»»1 iuunn«r.” eon - tinned Mr Cameron. When tin. Itr..mo to table no unsightly mark was noticeable. Tt appeared .lust as any other lc<'- ol mutton would. I on, round the brand and look the skm oil. Here it is.” Mr Cameron produced a niece of skin of perhaps a couple of enuarJ inches area. It certain y • lo»K----,-d iis ace.” Yet. although it had boei frozen,' "thawed, and cooked, the iors in the brand wore as clear mm decipherable as on the day they wore „„j- on I wen I,v vein's ago, ;vi leUet had “run” in the slightest degree.