THE MEAT GLUT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160723, 9 August 1920, Page 11

THE MEAT GLUT.

AMERICAN TRADE HIGH RESTAURANT CHARGES. LONDON, June 10. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, in a conversation relative to the Government’s decision not to extend the purchase contract for New Zealand meat for another year, said he agreed with Mr Massey’s computations, for he thought that, including the meat on hand at this end, that in store in New Zealand, and that afloat to this country, there would be between four and iive million carcases to dispose of at the end of the year. This was after allowing for the sale of three million carcases of lamb to America and a quarter of a million to the Continent. He also concurred in the hope Mr Massey expressed tha.t the Home authorities would not insist on New Zealand keeping all the meat killed after Juno 30 until that owned by the Imperial Government was disposed of. “We recognise,” said the High Commissioner, “the difficulties which have been experienced by the authorities in providing shipping, but, at the same time, had the Imperial Government faced the position earlier and cut their losses, the congestion would not have been nearly so great as it is. As for the disposal uf New Zealand lamb to America, while I regret that our most delicate and choice article of food should have to go past this country, there is no doubt that the step marks the opening of what will probably prove to be a profitable market for our produce. I should much have preferred an arrangement under which America would take a similar quantity of our mutton, and so relieved the United Kingdom market. Given the reoessary watchful activity, I think the future prospects for the sale of our meat in fibs Home market are distinctly good. Lamb should continue to return to the producers the rates now current, even if mutton should weaken a little.” USING THE PANAMA CANAL. “The opening of the Panama Canal,” he added, “is beginning to be felt much more strongly in the trade relationships between the United States and New Zealand. Both imports and exports have doubled in recent years, and if the latte.’ continue to increase as in the case of lamb, this will probably lead to return purchases of goods in 'the United States. Mr Massey is strong on the point of not allowing the American Meat Trust to gain a footing in the Dominion, and with that view I am in complete agreement.” Sir Thomas Mackenzie pointed out that tiie shipping people hoped to lie able to provide sufficient space to lift ten million carcases annually, as against the seven million now produced, and he trusted that they would be able to give early effect to that promise. He expressed appreciation of the way the Board of Trade had endeavoured to cope with the situation. "While at Cardiff last week ho learned that there was room for a cargo of frozen moat, and on his return to London he found that the only remaining undischarged ship in the port had been ordered by the Board to Cardiff, where about 1,000,000 carcases of mutton are disposed of every year, but the authori tics say they have facilities for disposing of from two to three million carcases, annually.CATERERS’ PROFITS.

It is stated at the Ministry of Food that since the wholesale cost of imported mutton was reduced, and control was removed from retail prices, the consumption of the meat lias increased to a considerable extent. Meat importers, however, are inclined to take the view that while there has been an increased distribution, the consumption has gone up only slightly. Some of the mutton appears to be changing from one cold store to another, and up to the present the caterer rather than the public has been getting the benefit of the lower unices. Apparently the public still insists on having either legs or shoulders when mutton is purchased, and these are taken without consideration of price. For the other joints there .s little demand, and the wholesale price for them has been down to 3d or 4d per IT). This, it is explained, is where the caterer comes in. The buyers for the restaurants have taken ‘’chines” and “best ends” extensively. They have come into the market for part of the carcase between the best end of the neck and the loin, which can be cut into chops from end to end, and leave the caterer with no waste; and the question is asked why the caterers buying at 3d and 4d per lb continue to exact Is 9d to 2s 6d for a small chop, and 2a to 3a for a small portion of loin of mutton. At a West End restaurant an expert in the meat trade had lunch, and was charged 3s for loin of mutton which he knew to be imported ewe mutton of inferior quality. Restaurant proprietors probably think that if they reduced their charges this would be tai tamount to an admission that they used imported meat, and disillusioned customers might then no longer order mutton.