A NEW OUTLET ?

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 827, 27 May 1910, Page 8

A NEW OUTLET ?

OUR MEAT IN AMERICA. APPRECIATED BY NEW YORK. POSSIBILITIES FOR FUTURE. Interesting. possibilities for tho future of New Zealand meat are sug-. gested by a news article in the New York 'Tost," of April 14, which states that a small consignment of Canterbury frozen mutton had been received in New York from London, and that othor shipments were expected. The articlo reads as follows:— "Wholesale meat dealers of this city were interested to-day in the announcement that the Atlantic Transport liner Minnowaska had brought to this port, from London, .891 frozen mutton car-, casses. The' mutton came from New Zealand, and was , said to bo such meat as Americans have not had tho pleasure of feasting upon. It was Canterbury mutton, whole shiploads of which arrive at London from New Zealand throughout the year. Importing of these carcasses into this country at a tariff of a cent and a half a pound, together with tho cost .of freighting from New Zealand,'indicates that there are men in this city who find that even with- these trade handicaps they are able to sell the meat hero at a profit. "It is an innovation, but one that will: be', carried on extensively in the coining months, as several more stcain-. 6hips are now said to bo on their way to this port with mutton in, their coldstorage compartments. It is believed that this meat will be sold under the prices prevailing for the domestic mutton, in which event meat dealers here will have an unlooked-for situation to meet. As compared to the ■ shiploads of twenty-five thousand carcasses, which London receives month in and month out, the consignment which arrived here yesterday on tho : Atlantic Transport liner was not large, : but this and other consignments are expected to produce effects striking out of all proportion. Whether a great deal of mutton could thus be diverted from the London trade without causing a shortage and consequent high , prices'in the English metropolis, is tho question to be considered, according to men familiar with conditions on. the other Bide. ' " 'The total weight of the carcasses Drought by the Minnewaska was only twenty-five tons,' said Mr. ,■ Love,' of the freight department of the company, to-day, 'and as it is consigned to order, we are not at liberty to say to whom the consignment will finally go. But I think it is reasonable to assume that local meat dealers will set it.' " Local Trade Opinions. These statements of the New York "Post" were brought under the notice of *-wo leading representatives of the fijisen meat trade in Wellington by a Dominion representative, yesterday. Neither of them was inclined to attach auy importance to the prospects/ of developing a regular trade in frozen meat with the appreciative Americans. The first authority who was seen pointed out that the consignment received at New York was sent from London, and that tho frozen meat companies in New Zealand had no cognisance of its dispatch. American mutton was not so good as that which came from this country, though the beef and hogs raised in the States were first class, and America shipped chilled heef. to England in large.. quantities. There was no steamer service by which Now Zealand could supply frozen inut■ton to New York with advantage. If it went via San Francisco, there was rtho necessity for transhipping at Tahiti, in addition to which the steamers on this service made no provision for carrying frozen meat, and there was no direct service from New Zealand to ■Vancouver. Australia was sending frozen meat to the Philippines, but not, it was believed, to the United States. Some New Zealand lambs had been sent from, London to! the United States last year, independently of tho industry in .New Zealand, but, this authority considered'that a regular trade in frozen mutton from tho Dominion to the States was not practicable. A Previous Report. The representative of another company, who was seen, said that there was some talk of 30,000 carcasses hav. ing been sent from London to .Now York before, but Yrom inquiries which be had made the rumour seemed to be without foundation. He thought the ohances were that tho meat referred to in the New York "Post" had been sold in London for New York. Last year, when it was stated that some New Zealand meat had been sent from London to the States, there was a glut in the London market, and prices were ■very low. Prices had now recovered, ana there was no longer the same inducement as there might have been a year ago to send New Zealand meat from London' , to New York. He did not question the statements made by tho American paper, but the consignment referred to was a very small one, and he doubted very much if it was any indication of' subsequent supplies. 11l fact, though he would make inquiries, he did not attach much importance ior tho present to the New York paper's statements. If tho consignment referred to was satisfactory, there was .very little doubt that something further might follow, but up to Wednesday j when he had made inquiries, no business in frozen meat between New, Zealand and the States was known of in this country. He was satisfied that tho day was not far off when North America would have to look elsewhere for some of its domestic supplies of meat, but iie did not think that trade could be developed from New Zealand. "I think we shall have to look on England as our market for a very long time, because South America is so much nearer, but that does not really matter, for if the South American supplies are diverted from Englaud to North. America it, leaves all tho morel room for us in England." 'There would | to no difficulty in.shipping frozen meat to America if the market was sufficiently satisfactory. We had now provision for shipping all our meat to London, and. it would be only a question of arranging with the shipping companies to send their steamers to New York instead of London. No more steamers would bo needed; there would merely be a diversion. This authority was not so confident as the New York "Post" that the meat could be sold at a. profit in New York. Hβ did not know what the American freights were. So long as the Americans had to export meat to England, it was reasonable to suppose that England could not dispose of any serious quantities of tho same produce in America. The awed reference in tho New York paper to the "shiploads of twentyfive thousand carcasses: which London receives month in and month out" from New Zealand rather amused chis authority. "Add another 'nought , to the twenty-live thousand," he remarked, "and they would be nearer the mark. Twenty-five thousand is neither faere nor there." • . A New Service, If a trade with America in frozen meat should ultimately be developed, advantage might be taken of the new service> to Montreal, which the New Zealand Shipping Company has just commenced under contract to the Can, adian Government. One of the conditions of tho contract is that tho steamcrs employed shall carry insulated space -At present the steamers run from London to Montreal, and monthly from the Canadian port to Sydnev,

Melbourno, and the principal New Zealand ports, returning via London, but , if there was sufliciont inducement given tho boats could run direct to Montreal instead of going to London. Mi. N. Galbraitli, Wellington manager of the Shipping Company, threw oiu this suggestion when ho was interviewed yesterday by a representative of The Dominion. Mr. Galbraitli also pointed out that in the west of Canada mutton is very scarce, and ho considered that ■ if tariff difficulties could bo overcome . a. good business in frozen mutton could , bo done with that country. If tho Now York market offered more induce--5 mont, such produce could be readily : railed to that city from Montreal, i Frozen meat or any other cargo could , bo shipped at present to Montreal by way of London.