CONTINENTAL MEAT MARKET.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1630, 23 December 1912, Page 8

CONTINENTAL MEAT MARKET.

In the course of his address at the anhml meeting of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, the chairman, Sir George Clifford, arid that the possible opening of the Continent of' Europo to frozen ■ meat from Australasia and the Argentine in deference to the acuts demands of tho urban populations, might be noted as likely to check ony glut of the markets in the British Isles and so to enhance the deinamf for tho higher grade mutton and lamb which they were able to supply ' from Canterbury. It would, however, be a misfortune if it resulted, as might readily happen, in the dispatch from theso shores of a very large proportion of hallfattened carcasses. Tho export of sneh numbers of "unfinished" sheep an<l lambs must materially lessen the available sup ply of the prime quality upon which our reputation has been built up.

Discussing the statement of claims of the New Zealand Slaughtermen's Federation, the ofiicial organ of tile New Zealand Farmers' Union says tho elaime bear evidence that the federation is determined not to miss much in the way of concessions. The demands, it adds, are so extreme that even 1 a considerable saving from loss this year (by settling with the men at, say, 275. 6d. per hundred) would not compensate for future additional costs. The farmers should at once make every arrangement possible' for provisioning their stock while the trouble is on. Fatteners can do much to minimise a loss, aud the farmer need not be a heavy loser, if he will carefully watch the "trend of a/Fairs. Tile strength or weakness of the companies in resisting the demands will depend'very much on the necessities of the farmer. If heavy drafts of sheep are waiting, the tendency will bo to give in, but if these can be regulated workers will bo found to deal with nioderate supplies, and instead of the unions dictating the terms, the boot will be on tho other foot.