WHO EATS THE MUTTON?

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13034, 30 March 1910, Page 3

WHO EATS THE MUTTON?

A NEW ZEALANDER’S INQUIRIES.

CHRISTCHURCH, Marcli 22. A young colonial who has just returned from Great Britain has been telling his friends of his failure to ascertain who eats New Zealand frozen meat. When he' arrived in London he, like many other: New Zealanders/ was more than a little : proud of the part played by his country: in providing food for the millions of the Motherland., He • never doubted that his : new acquaintances . and friends would : recognise gladly the connection between the smiling plains of Canterbury and the; laden tables of English homes, and at: the first convenient opportunity he asked an hospitable housewife whether she used frozen meat, “It seemed that she would: have , felt as, little flattered had I asked: her whether she ate margarine,” he writes. “After a. few days I learned that one must be very careful about mention-; ing frozen meat to English people of the: better classes. In a London club I was informed that ‘no doubt some people, used: frozen meat,’ in a tone which suggested that some people would do all sorts of odd things. My hostess in a country housie said that she had heard-that'New .Zea--land meat was excellent, but that'her ; servants had objected to eating if. The: subject suggested -’Chicago to iler,. and; she expressed ': the ; hope that the ‘meat people’ had improved their methods. I choked down my explanations.- My: comfidence was shaken a little-when'l searched but some cheap markets and found the prime Canterbury label attached to ipints which I hoped devoutly had come from the Argentine. I did not feel happy about the matter until Li had taken an opportunity to visit Smithfield, 'and had seen splendid New Zealand-mutton, apparently in prime . condition;: on the way to some unknown consumers.” -A few weeks later I did find a family Who used New Zealand mutton, and were not ashamed of it. They said that thfey had no'* desire at all to replace it by home-killed meat.""