NEW ZEALAND MEAT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3569, 2 October 1916, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND MEAT.

SIR T. MACKENZIE'S STATEMENT

A ' MEAT EXPERT'S VIEWS

r Speaking to a "Guardian" reporter * on Saturday, with reference J.o Sir Thos. iMack^.'Kio's .statement ro^arcling New Zealand meat (as publißhcd ,in the "Guardian" on September 29), v gentleman interested in the frozen meat trade made a number of comments that should serve to throw further light upon tho matter. The High Commissioner's statement ■ was, lie said, to be regarded as putting before tho New Zealand farmer alternative methods of' disposing of his meat. It should remove many mis- ' apprehensions undoubtedly existing as ' to the sale of the meat and its control | by tho Imperial Government. Taking i .- tho suggestion that farmers should j : continue to sell outright to the Home | : authorities, it seemed probable that the majority would be satisfied to pursuo this course, provided they received an advance upon the present prices— and to this they were entitled. An.outright sale ' relieved producers of all, trouble and responsibility, which wa^! no inconsiderable "advantage. Tho alternative courses offered ' was to send the meat on consignment, giving the Board of Trade first option for Army I purposes, and placing the surplus,on> the open market, but in such a procedure tho farmer'came up against the possibility of freight trouble. It was' a question whether in these times the, farmer would oare to carry tho rcspon-' sibility until the meat was sold. In the event of Germany's, assiduously prosecuting the submarine campaign, the farmer would have to pay a very high war risk infhiranoe, and, in addition, highly-increased charges in general would have to be met. Tho Imperial Government,' for instance, was paying heavy storage charges on tho meat while it lay in the freezing works in New Zealand, freight was up probably 100 per cent., and might go higher, and storage and handling charges in London wero also exceedingly heavy. It was, in short, questionable whether the farmer would bo pre j pared to assume those burdens; which he would, bo compelled, to shoulder if 1 hi» shipped his moat on consignment. Sir Thomas Mackenzie had indicated that the weak spot in regard to the New Zealand meat lay in the retail trade, where prices were entirely uncontrolled. It must, however, bo remembered that the retail butcher had his own troubles to contend with—decreased turn-over, higher wages'to employees, higher rents, heavier charges for 'upkeep of plant, increased cost of living, to say nothing of bad debts. .In the matter of prices, it should be noted that during tho past season, | though the weight'o'f tho lambs as a , whole had probably been below the average, the average prices obtained by the farmers must, have been,- equal' M~ if noi Wt<^r than, "those-of-a-ny previous .season. Tho- practice of i "deducting cortajn weights," mentioned in the' Hteh Commissioner's ' statement, is'as follows: The trade, custom is to take the weights of mutton oi lamb :is jw tho colonial specification (which is issued by the freezing" works from which tho meat is shipped), and deduct 2 per cent, therefrom. -Tho MirvMi ;>• tl:'-"' in London as it is withdrawn from cool store, and. tare at the rate oj 21b. per careaso deducted. Tf the London store weights, wilh this deduction, then show a loss compared with the colonial specification (with the reduction ■referred ■ to,.above V a claim for loss in weight-fplldws.; Sir . Thomas- Mackenme's idea is, it appears. 1-fo get the colonial weights*accepted as ' fixed and finaL . .