NEW ZEALAND MEAT IN LONDON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1758, 4 February 1888, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND MEAT IN LONDON.

It will no doubt be remembered by $ome of our readers that some months ftgo information was cabled out from Home that Mr J. C. Brown, M.H.8., trho was then, on a visit to the Old Country for the purpose ot arranging with an English syndicate for the purchase of the Blue Spur mines, had also interested himself on behalf of New Zealand exporters of frozen meat, and had succeeded, or was on the point of succeeding, m getting up a Company to undertake the distribution of the meat to the consumers. This is, as we have frequently pointed out, exactly what needs to be done if the export is to become the source of profit to the producer, which it is capable of being made, and it would have been highly satisfactory to learn that Mr Brown had succeeded m his self-imposed task. This, however, does not appear to have been the case— at anyrate no news to that effect has been received, but that Mr Brown did make inquiries into the matter while at Borne is certain, and m a recent issuo ot the " Wanganui Herald" appears an article from hiß pen, m which some very interesting •ad usefal information is given. This is what he says with reference to his ! efforts m connection with the frozen meat business :— " This, I may say, j took up many weeks of my time m visiting the various centres of England and Scotland. I had to go at out the mnfcter quietly, and m course of enquiries m most cases not letting my object be known, which I found necessary to succeed. In many instances the worst of English mutton and lamb is sold as New Zealand meat, and New Zealand meat m most cases sold as the. best English, at prices ranging from 6d to lOd. Many shops 1 called at denied point blank that they dealt m New Zealand meat, until I explained to them who 1 was, and that I knew they bad Tegular consignments from London. " There is not a decent butcher's shop In London, as compared to Gear's m Wellington. r xhe meat is mostly all cnt up m pieces for people to select from. Most of the meat before being sold is handled several times by different persons, each splecting their piece — a very objectionable practice to all concerned. The New Zealand system ol selecting your joint from the side or body is most preferable m point of cleanliness and freshness ; the meat would be sold at say sd, C>d and 7d, •ooordisg to the out. The only persons Who benefit by the trade, as now carried on, are the middlemen, the Loan Mortgage Societies ip New Zealand (through whose agency the meat is consigned) the salesmen, and the butchers. The producer and consumer are the losers. I have made I find the salesman is largely interested m low prices, although his commission on sales amounts to, say, one and a half per cent, and, you wou d think, would endeavor to obtain the highest possible price for "his employers. This is not so. I know many instances of salesmen having contracts to supply large quantities of mutton each day at a fixed price of 6d for mutton and 7d for lamb ; so, you pee, his interest is to keep down the price so aB to obtain the largest profit for himself. This information I received front Borne of the largest hotels m London. Tho butchers also seem to be m a ring to keep the purchasing price low and the selling price high. "The Armw and Navy and Civil Service Clubs are different people, and much tended to popularise New Zealand meat by openly disposing of it as such. These clubs .being used by the best people m London, and our meat being largely used by them, has removed the prejudice which formerly existed against our mutten, and many private families whom I visited, who had used it, all declared it, especially lamb, to be the finest meat they had ever used, and m many instances preferred it to English. While the mutton is only netting the New Zealand producer not more than Id per pound, and being retailed at from 6d to lOd, something must be wrong m its management between the producer and the consumer, which I at once set myself to unravel, and have, J am sure, found out the cause, and ;\m able to suggest the remedy alike beneficial to producer and consumer; the first being secured a payable price, at least 50 per cent more than he now obtains ; the consumer being supplied with the best New Zealand meat at a fixed price lower than he is accustom* d to pay." While it appears that Mr Brown has not organised a Frozen-meat Distributing Company as he Wns reported to have done, he has yet done something towards ©penvag a better channel for the trade than that ia_which it at present flows, for he goes on It? Bay : — " 1 have connected mjself with some of the best men m England, who are prepared -to pay cssh m New Zealand for approved meat, before shipment, up to l^d per lb, exclusive of all expenses after killing, the seller retaining skin, fat, etc. The English company, providing their own freights, freezing, storing, etc , and upon receiving advices that a certain supply j can be guaranteed periodically to balance shipments and contracts entered into for given periods, they will at once open shops m London and elsewhere, supplying the mutton direct to tho consumer at a fixed price. The shops are to be fitted up identical with each other, and will only sell New Zealand products of various kinds/ He adds, " I am sure if this arrangement is carried out, it will be of immense benefit to New Zealand.'* We quite agree with him, and it is satisfactory tc be assured that, " If we will send nothing but first class goods, the very best butter, cheese, and grain, properly graded or screened, there is an excellent market for unlimited quantity of the best quality with payable price?." There is also evidently a good opening for our fruit-growers for Mr Brown states tbat he "purchased Hobart apples m London m May last at 6d each," and be further states, as a result of information gained m passing through Canada on his way out, that ho "feels certain that there is a payable market at Vancouver and down the coast to 'Frisco . lor many JHevr Zealand products during the months of November to March, or April, the season being m our favor — their winter being our summer." Mr Brown has done good service by his enquiries, and their results suffice to show that our producers, who are now justly complaining of low and unremunerative prices, havo the remedy m their own hands.