The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1888. NEW ZEALAND V RIVER PLATE MUTTON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1890, 11 July 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1888. NEW ZEALAND V RIVER PLATE MUTTON.

The Bteady growth of the Frozen Meat trade to London, and the general good quality of the shipments has had the effect of crushing the export of River Plate mutton. Not only is the quality of colonial meat superior to the South American, but the condition m which it is placed m the market is much better. The top price for meat from Wver Plate has been about B§d per lb, while New Zealand descriptions are readily disposed of at a better figure. The exports of the former locality have fallen off greatly lately. The Bydney " Mail " m a recent article on the subject goes on to say that it is quite possible that the frozen meat business will develop with great rapidity. The Coptic's recent cargo sold m London at 4£d, per lb, and it appears that this leaves l^d to the shipper, which is about from 10s to 12s per carcase. The New Zealand sheep average about 6&lbs. The tallow is worth Is, and the skins bring a fair sum. Thus it pays much better to ship the frozen mutton than to boil the sheep down. Tho local authori ties on the subject of shipping estimate that the fact that tho sheep is not ripe for boiling down till ho is four year old would alone be sufficient to prove the iuperiority of tho freezing trade. At the present prices of tallow, about an average m London of 2d net, the return from a 601 b wether of about 80lbs would be ss, as against tho return of 11s for carcases and tallow from the frozen meat market for a shcrp of the same weight. Thus, freezing not only gives double the return that boiling down does, but it gives that return m half tho time. What the shippers of New Zealand are anxious to effect is the redaction of freight to say £d per lb, which ia e/jual to a rate of 30s per quarter for wheat, The present rate of freight for meat is 1^ per U>. Tp these charges are added which brings the total cost of delivering the meat to tho pur chaeer m London to 2£ per lb, Jf the present prices pan be maintained, the shippers will bo well satisfied. But we look forward to something better than , this. It the absurd prejudice which has so long had force against the übo of frozen meat is thoroughly tfokon down, the first quality mutton gent by New Zealand and /\ustialia should command prices much higher than those now quoted. Wo have often remarked that the frozen meat trade is merely m its infancy. The shipments from this colony were bo irregular that a steady market at the other side of the world could not be expected. We h/ava Jeaj'ned enough, however, to know that tho London buyers are not easily pleased. Low qualities have but a poor chanoo, and possibly tho failure of the exportation frofli this port is due lo tho fact that much of U*e mutton sent from here to London was of low quality,