The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING, WEDNESDAY, MAY 17 1911.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3220, 17 May 1911, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING, WEDNESDAY, MAY 17 1911.

Wanted: Mora Markets.

There is a string agitation in Australia as well as in this country in favor of more active steps being taken to develop the frozen meat trade by, the obtainment of additional markets As far as the quantity of meat available for export from the colonies,_is concerned, no fault can be fc'nnd. , Tins is indeed a satisfactory feature 7 of the trade, for it is generally h'eld that sheep at any rate have considerably decreased in * numbers in a great many countries during the last few years. In this connection it may bo pointed out that in 1910-11 thie number of carcases of mutton exported from the leading importing countries was as under: New Zealand 2,151,000, Australia 2,576,000, and Argentine 3,011,000. For the year 1909 (the next best year) it may be explained the figures were: New Zealand 1,869,000, Australia 1,157,000, and Argentine 3,470,000. With regard to lambs tlie number of carcases shipped in 1910-11 is given as under: New Zealand 3,834,000, Australia 1,748,000, Argentine 661,000. In 1910, the next highest year, the figures were: New Zealand 3,155,000, Australia 1.199,000, and Argentine 425,000. As regards beef, the number of quarters shipped in 1910-11 was: New Zealand 360,000, Australia 495,000, Argentine 3,243,000. For the previous year, which was the next best, the figures were: New Zealand 304,000, Australia 305,000, Argentine 2,659,000. It will thus be seen, as We have said, tliat the quantities of meat for export from New Zealand, as well' as Australia a.nd Argentine, show a.- gratifying increase. What is, however, very disappointing in connection with the trade 1 is th» fact that reasonably high prices are by no means a matter of certainty. Taking this season as .an example, it will be recalled that .it- opened with considerable promise, but for some reason or another prices for mutton and lamb have receded. It is quite evident., we think > that before a. more stable condition of values is possible, additional markets of a. permanent ’nature will have to be found. Though It now appears as if sctmie of the Continental countries may be. induced to take regular supplies of frozen meat at an. early date, the immediate outlook for .the trade cannot be regarded as over-bright. Ooi nci dentally with lower values there is,' according to the latest mail, a large, surplusage of frozen meat in. London. Whilst the thousands upon thousands of Coronation visitors are in London, there should, of course, be a substantial increase in tire demand tor oversea, meat as well as Home-grown meat. As to when l there will be a revival of trade in other large centres it would not be possible to forecast. In the case of Glasgow, for instance, a

message which recently came he hand said: “Frozen meat is overdue, and prices ‘are aigain lower. ' Dealing with this important question, the “Sydney Morning Herald/’ it will be found, had in a recent issue something of interest to say. “It is very evident,” that journal remarked, “that one of two things will have to be brought about in the near future if this industry is to b© placed on a sound and enduring basis. Either the barriers that shut our meat so effectively out of the continent of Europe will have to be broken down, or we shall have to give more attention than We have) done in the past to opening up the markets of the East. Exactly licw far these are capable cf expansion it is not easy to say. To Singapore there has been some increase during the current year, but the Philippines! took less this year than last; while China and Japan scarcely figure on the list at all. Of the total exports of 1,528,163 carcases to date this season, the United Kingdom took no less than 1,383,084 careeses. This indicates graphically enough hew dependent we are on the vagaries of a single market. It is not safe 'that all cur eggs should be in one basket, however well that basket has served 'us in the past. The risk should be better divided. In that way alone can our relative independence be secured.” In this, as in other matters,, opportunities (as our Sidney contemporary says) undoubtedly come to those who make them. New Zealand has a large staff in its Home office, and it has undertaken the cost cf sending commercial agents abroad witli a view to the expansion of our own markets. How disappointing, however, have been the results to date. With officials who were more pushing together with the judicious expenditure of a little money in a series of trial shipments to many of the larger centres of various countries, the return might, we feel, have been very different. As a result of the efforts of the representative of the produceis and that of the freezing companies, improvements in the methods of handling at Home will no doubt take place. By adopting the scheme of having an international meet standard, as suggested by Mr. Anderson, of London, further progress in the matter of broadening the markets to include Continental countries is also possible. Nevertheless, it is equally patent that these things alone will not suffice. Apparently the Government does not realise the gravity of the position.