COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2451, 16 March 1909, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

FROZEN MEAT. An unusual slackness in the freezing industry has been felt recently in Dunedin. A recent paragraph in the “Otago Daily Times”’ stated: —“Operation? at the Burnside Freezing Works were resumed at the beginning of lastmonth. after being at a standstill since about November of lost year. They are, however, not veer king to anything like their full capacity, and whore up to this time last year-, with the opening at about the same, date, 20,000 carcasses of mutton and lamb had been put through, only 3000, or 10,000 carcasses have been put through this year. The reason of this iailing-.off is to he found in the poor inducement there is for export to the London market. Prices ruling there will not permit of the New Zealand Dee-zing companies giving high prices for stock, and tho outcome is. that farmers who'had paid' big prices ror sheep are not disposed to send consignments to the freezing works, preferring to hold on in the hope of an improvement-. There is, however, ncmirmediutc prospect of the London market hardening owing to the vast supplies which are pouring in there from the Argentine* iho output- from this quarter this wear being much in excess of that of last year.” Inquiries made of Wellington companies.-; showed that one of them had found February a record month for- business, while- tho other, though admitting that there had been a moderate slackness from November to February, declared that more stock wore now coming forward thantho company could kill.