The Ashburaton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1887. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE,

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1503, 10 March 1887, Page 2

The Ashburaton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1887. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE,

Believing as we do that, property managed, the export of frozen meat is capable of being made so remunerative to the grower and shipper as not only to give a great impetus to the trade but to solve so far as New Zealand is concerned, the problem of the day — " What to grow profitably ? " we cannot understand the apathy with which the question is regarded by our fiockmasters, our farmers and our mercantile men generally. It has over and over again been shown to a demonstration that, if only means were taken to place the New Zealand grower and the Home consumer m direct relation to each other, the latter would be benefited by getting his meat cheaper, while the former would receive at the very least 50 per cent more than present average prices, and would thus be paid handsomely, the fact being that all the profitis now swallowed up by middle men, while both producer and consumer suffer. In its issue of Monday last, writing on this subject, our Oamaru contemporary the "North Otago Times," has the following,which cannot be too widely read : — "A Home weekly paper points out that while New Zealand mutton is quoted wholesale at 4^d per Ib the retailer sells it at from 8d to n^d per lb. The paper says that the abundant imports from New Zealand have made no appreciable difference m the cost of meat at Home, that the butcher pockets the whole of the' profit, and then turns round'and says he is not doing as well as he used to. The paper suggests that New Zealand shippers should establish retail businesses m London and the provinces, and if they could sell meat at 6d per lb it would be a vast boon to the consumer, and a great impulse would be communicated to the trade m New Zealand* What the Home paper has pointed out has been recognised m New Zealand for a long time, but for some reason no steps have been taken to alter the existing state of things. Only the other day we published a paragraph m which it was stated that a shipper of sheep from the colony had only netted for 500 sheep. Now, it would be safe to estimate the butchers' profit from the same sheep at not less than and all, he had to do with them was to sell them over his counter. No wonder the frozen meat trade m New Zealand is languishing if the above is the case. The breeder gets what is hardly equal to the value of the skins and fat, while the London retailer gets the carcase, and waxes rotund on it. The frozen meat trade has evidently been a very bonanza to him." Surely it is high time that this sort of thing were put an end to. We have frequently drawn attention to ir, and should be rejoiced to see the matter actively taken up. What is wanted is the formation of an Agency or Company, having agents m New Zealand and at Home, to take charge of shipments, provide storage, and suparintend the establishments opened for retailing the meat m London and other large cities. There should be a compe'ent English manager, or rather a manager m England sent Home for that purpose from the colony, with a good organising head and a thorough knowledge of the whole business — it would pay to employ a first class man and to give him a liberal salary — and we are persuaded that such a man would soon put the trade on a thoroughly satisfactory footing with the result of incalculable advantage to the whole colony.