AMERICAN LAMB IMPORTATION.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17127, 23 April 1921, Page 15

AMERICAN LAMB IMPORTATION.

BE-EXPOHTATION CAUSES SATISTACTION.. In the Slarcli number of the "Na-. tional Wool Grower," published at Salt Lake City, a lengthy article appears in regard to the importation of New Zealand frozen lamb, the diversion of which to the United Kingdom appears to have occasioned much satisfaction. Incidentally the contemptuous references to our frozen "stuff" are valuable as showing the extent tojjybich the average American is bent on protecting his country's products. The article is as follows:

"Hardly had announcement been made that at least part of the heavy stock of frozen New Zealand lamb arid 1 - mutton in Atlantic seaboard storage would bo transferred to the British market than domestic- live muiton trado wiggled out of the nit in which it- had been travelling. A physical change at the niarkef! was followed by in<provem«nt in a psychological sense. Tho slump of the first half of February had literally destroyed the morale of mutton finishers, consequently a prospect of eliminating at least part of the frozen stock aroused mild enthusiasm. If it is significant that each boat load of New Zealand' stuff reaching New York and Boston demoralised the domestic market, equally so was the effect of the news that tho burden was to be reduced. A herald of this was carried by announcement that 20,000 carcases had been sent to Liverpool. A few days later and on tho eve of a conference between packers and rado feeders Armour told the trade that 500.000 carcases had been booked to go to London and Liverpool where prices had gradually advanced to a i higher kvel than on this side. "Up to March Ist approximately 22,000.000 pounds of frozen New Zealand fctuff was scheduled to go to England, of approximately 78,000,000 pounds, representing nn increase or 10,000,000 pounds during the past month, small consignments arriving from South America and packers being under the necessity of freezing tho carcases of heavy lambs, the trade could not absorb" at the - moment. How burdensome this stock is may bo inferred from ,tho -fact that only 7,r37,000 J)Qunds of frozen lamb and mutton were in stfbck a year ago. "Doubtless the principal reason for exporting this frozen meat was the fact that if can be sold to better advantage on the other side of the Atlantic than here. But packers make no secret of their anxiety to" be rid of the.whole package.. Cupidity was the instigator of the import campaign which promised substantial profit at the .time New Zealand stuff was bought fi-om the' British Government. But the American consumer never did show partiality for the frozen stuff and.its movement into distributive channels was sluggish. Each consignment as it reachod New York served to further demoralise-the domestic market where prices dropped to the lowest level since October, 1015, by the middle of February whon exporting furnished relief. That packers have had their belly full of New Zealand frozen meat will not be disputed. Had they been content with introducing a few million pounds, results would have been less disastrous, but when several rnillion frozen carcases were dumped into the,domestic market hopper and *h© stuff was distributed all over tho country, damage was done to the domestic industry that may--prove irreparable. "There is a crumb-of consolation for the domestic producer in the fact that tliia. enormous mass of frozen meat was an accumulation of the war period which will probably never be repeated, consequently the menace-Has spent its force and is passing. Likewise there is consolation in the manner in which the British public has consumed that part of the accumulation allotted to that market and is now taking a Roiierous percentage: of the United States allotment. Verily tho Brfton is a prodigious mutton eater. What the performance of the domestic market would have been without the handicap imposed by imports of New Zealand stuff must be left to conjecture; it certainly would have acted no worse. "Packers resent Tan imputation that they are sending New Zealand frozen meat to the British market in obn sequence of Federal indictments, stating that the sole reason » that it can be sold in England for more money. It will bo remembered that Armour was indicted in New York October 21st last on a charge of selling New Zealand lamb costing 9Jd - per . pound at 12id. "As a. matter of fact, whilesome of the New Zealand stuff landed at the Atlantic seaboard during the period of high prices last year sold at a profit, the experiment ha? been uhprofitable if not. disastrous, figuring in red ink on packers! books to a large amount. The meat nevor has heen popular with distributors or the pub*, fie. The Englishman may have a taste for frozen lamb and mutton, but it does *<no'fc exist on this side of the Atlantic, nnd will probably never ba acquired, especially if it is necessary for the big packers to do the cultivating as the last thing they want to riear about is foreign frozen lamb and mutton. Recently the stuff has accumulated even hotel and restaurant trade balking at using it, so thjit" the owners eagerly availed themselves of an opportunity to.ship.it to London and. Liverpool. • "The 'real .story' of this importation frozen New Zealand lamb and mutton will, probably .never bo published. That it was 'bad _ business' will not bo disputed as the importation and consequent demoralisation of the domestic market was responsible for a wavo df resentment among producers that became distinctly audible at Washington. The more or less plausible explanation of necessitv for handling the meat was that tho Vesteys, a prominent British concern, would liave done so, otherwise, Mind that North American pack--, crs were in a position to feed it into distributive chnnnels, avoiding demoralisation. Results show that demoralisation was a logical sequence of the importation." .