The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1909. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2593, 30 August 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1909. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

If the present slump in the frozen meat market accomplishes no other good thing it will probably result in a ,more thorough- organisation of the business from the producers’ point of view. We scarcely need the assurance of the London correspondent of the “Pastoralists’ Review” .that the shipment from New Zealand of a million carcases of mutton and lamb in May was a tactical mistake. As he points out both in anticipation and on arrival this enormous volume of meat exercised a prejudicial effect upon prices on this market. Surely there should be some means of controlling exports? Freezing works’ managers must remember that the month’s shipments are cabled over to London, and that every buyer at Smithfield market carries about a little book in his pocket issued by the Frozen Meat Trades Association, ruled for the insertion of the shipments for each month. Considering that June- and July.were practically certain to be light months for Dominion shipments, it was suicidal to have shipped 674,000 carcases of lambs in May., New Zealand lamb is a saleable commodity- in London all the year round, and it certainly s*ems ridiculous to dump the Dominion’s output, on to an overstocked market in such irregular quantities. In this matter we can learn something from the Danes, who have made a speciality of supplying butter for English consumption. A committee representing the butter exporters fixes the price of Danish butter at the commencement of each week, and supplies are regulated accoz-dingly. In New Zealand we have'no such organisation and current prices become largely a question of luck and speculation. Recently five steamers left Lyttelton in one week carrying- mutton which was poured into the London markets at one time. Such a situation naturally plays into the hands of speculators, who, being on the spot, can take full advantage of every variation in the. position. Another aspect of the frozen meat trade that is certain to receive increased ‘ attention as the result of the present low prices is the possibility of extending our export markets. Discussing this matter in Christchurch recently Mr B. Tripp, a prominent pastofalist, stated that in France last June loins of mutton had been selling at 2s 6d a pound. Yet New Zealand farmers could not get mutton into France because that country would not accept the New Zealand inspection of meat. Nevertheless, France allowed horses to go in, and ate them. The New Zealand Government, might possibly get France and Germany to send inspectors to New Zealand and brand their own meat for those countries. Mr Gilbert Anderson, at a recent conference, Had suggested international inspection, and thei suggestion had been adopted; but nothing further appeared to have been done. All reports from the United States seemed to point to the fact thatmutton was getting short as the population increased, and in New Yorn the price paid for lamb chops nad been Is 53d. In the States there was a duty vAt.-I y yi - ;j ' ; / , tl j .

I of 2d a. pound, and tlio same in prance, but it was not the duty but the inspection that kept New Zealand mutififl out. As Mr Tripp says, there' is only one way to remedy these matters, namely for the frozen meat trade to perfect a workable organisation which : will be capable of taking prompt action at every point where its interests may bo affected.