TRADE PROSPECTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1681, 22 February 1913, Page 5

TRADE PROSPECTS.

CANADIAN MARKET FOR MEAT.

COND/TIONS IN LONDON. INTERVIEW WITH MB. J, D. i , C'LAKKSON. ; Somo interesting suggestions about New .Zealand, export trade, potential and in : being, ovo advanced by Mr. J. B. Clarkson, managing director of a well-known - Neiv Zealand firm, who has just returned ■ from a tour of some' months, - in tho courjo of which he visiled Canada, the United States, Great Britain, and France. t M, I '. Clarkson is interested in' the motor i business, and wliilo at Homo visited tfio • Olympia motor show, tho Olympia cycle and motor show (both in England), and ) tho motor show in France. i travelling through Western Canada he • was lilipressed by its possibilities as a ■ r lar ,,?. . Poland butler aud meat; in Winnipeg and other places ho found prices ruling for meat and butler which would amply repay the New Zealand exporter. Canoda'9 possibilities as a market for ivow /caland produce are duo to the ssventy Of-its climate. During a period i ot about six months in the year flocks , novo to bo housed. This condition'of uft? 1 , s ~e xlsts ln Canada as a whole, and it follows naturally that sheep farming does not obtain by any meant tho voguo in tho big northern Dominion that it enjoys in New Zealand. Tlio flocks in Canada are relatively small, and in anticipation of the winter they are allowed to run down to a minimum, so that the expenses ot housing may bo reduced as far as possible. During , this close' seaton supplies of sheep for. tho market are absolutely cut off to far as .local, flocks ai o concerned. A certain amount' of local-3-giown muttoli is 'fixizeii for/ winter supply, bnt Mr. Clarkson's observations led him to conclude that nt best theso supplies wero very meagre. Ho stated that in Uinnipw ho saw meat exposed for salti' which in this country would bo considered unlit for human consumption, it ,whs so poor. At the faino time,- Mr; Clarkson bc™stylo W6S Krved up in tho very ; As to cattle, ho continued; New Zealand rauld not. expect to export beef to Canada, IMS supplios being suffiiient in this particular, but tho severe winter ; imposed serious restrictions : on. dairy-farming as on shecp-farining, and 7 New' Zealand butter would find n ready sale in Western. Canada. . lii some places, notably at Calgary, dairying is. obtaining a good hold', nut too rule.in,regard to tho necessity of housing stock , during the' winter is of universal application, although in some of the Hocky Moiintuin valleys, just l>elow Hit suo\r-linti, conditions are <y Jitda milder, thaii elsewhere. Canada, Mr. Clarkson added, cannot draw suppJiesi of meat and butter from the United States', for therd tho homo' population of ninttv millions absorbs all 1 , ) iirailnMo supplies; .' y, London, Mr. Clarkson paid a visit I to SmitMold market, in company with a representative of one of tho big English firms which deal in. New Zealand products. Uno thing lie observed was 'that although •New mutton is greatly superior to tlio At'goutino product, it decs not arrive at ™o . market' in a condition which does jiistice lo its meats. Ho found , that New, Zealand meat wad. by no means so well dressed as the South-Ame-rican product. In his opinion J:? was ■? n ''y the export.who acconipanled him.,. As an important observer .desirous of seeing the Industry prosper, Mr.Clarkson advises the export" companies and tho working slaughtermen to look'to this matter lest tho New Zealand trade should suffer by reason of a defect which eaii bo easily remedied. Tho London docks, Mr. Clarkson states, are undoubtedly* obsolete, and tlie sys- 1 toms of unloading tfiiitton are. not good. Ths rieeonimMiatioi!«i. Bristol'is grrally « superior. A large expenditure is Jnojccted for the improvement of the Hoval Albert Docks, biit it will ].« n loiig time before (ho riccessary W'Orks can : bo c o ni- • pMcd. ' •'., Mr. : Clarkson 'noted another / example ,of enterprise oil tho part of the Argentine exporters.'. Just before Christmas a show" of meat products /from South America Was organised' at' Smithfiekl; For soma wepks choieo ssiriplos of Argentine beef J and mutton werfi .disulayed in the stalls. ' These, samples had beeit saved up. for ! months with an eye to the coming dis- ■ play. While Hie Argentine exnorlers were ' tlitis. liianifcstin? tlieir entevpris.e. there ! was! no special, display, of New Zealand i poduce. As a fact "sunplies of I Zealaud nuitton were low, and there i was .nothing in, sight to counteract ■ the .Argentine display. Mr, Clarkson : thinks that it would pay the New Zen- J land exporting companies to club together and organise.. a ,'counter-di.splay. They could easily nut on a show, lie remarked, that would outshine that' of ' their , tonipotitors. tifid serve in a.'.vnlu- j ,aW6 decree to advertise tlwir industry. 1 . Mr.'Clarkson Jeaves, for ClirislehiiTch < to-nijht. Ho will remain in. New Zea- .' llind for-three or. four -weeks and then ' pay <i visit to Australia. It. is worthy of ] lioto that In l crossed America eleven ) times,, and has nttended six M)t: ef niiie. ' anlinal motor sI!OW3 in tho Old Cfnmtry 1 diiring the last nino years.., ' <