OUR MEAT ABROAD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1853, 12 September 1913, Page 10

OUR MEAT ABROAD.

~ NEED FOR SEALED TAGS. .' "There is no doubt that meat- from other countries is substituted for New Zealand, although it is always difficult to prove this in a court of law," says tho High Commissioner, reporting to the Government. "If our tags were sealed on, detection would bo rendered much more easy, and' the amount of substitution would be greatly lessened, more .especially in connection with supplies to public institutions, shipping companies, etc. A great amount of Now Zealand meat is asked for by various public bodies. For instance, fortytwo institutions (Boards of Guardians, hospitals, ctc.) consumo no less than 61,250 sheep and 7600 lambs annually, and this is only a very small nortion of the amount annually used throughout tlie country- by similar tyodies. If our tags wero sealed on. and wo had tho cooperation of the various bodies, wo could bo sure that New Zealand meat would be supplied when tendered for. It would only be necessary for the various bodies to call for whole carcasses or undivided pairs of legs with' tho original tag on one of- them, and. as this is frequently done at present, it would assist materially. Tho cost nould be very small in proportion to the value of our meat outnut, and I consider. tho benefits would bo great. Tho use of seals would' also safeguard our inspectors in New Zealand, and might, moreover, bo an important' factor in tho opening-up of a Continental trade.''