EXPORT OF MEAT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2354, 9 January 1915, Page 8

EXPORT OF MEAT

PRODUCERS' VIEWS 7 I I SATISFIED WITH WHAT HAS BEEN DONE j [ A great deal has been said and writs ten in the course of the past day or > two in adverse criticism of the action of s the Government in their endeavour to > arrange for a sufficient number of steal mors to leave our ports to carry Homo ; our food products, chiefly frozen meat. • A few outside opinions on the subject ■ are now available. i ■ > The Trouble in Auokland. ; One of the complaints against the Government is that a certain purchaser ' of stock from the Waikato districts finds it impossible to get space in the ' freezing works in the Wellington proi nnce for his purchases. . He has alleged, without evidence, that this is due to the lack of steamer space. A Waikato farmer in Wellington yesterday expressed opinions which show »hy it h necessarv for Waikato stock to be offered to Wellington works. To . a DOHiifiON reporter he said:— ■ "The trouble in Auckland is the ; dearth of capacity in the freezing , works, and on that account it is somei times impossible to get meat frozen 1 there. The farmers have been forced • to send their stuff to Wellington because it was impossible for tho Auckland freezing works to handle any large i quantities. The capacity of the Aucki land works is only about one-fifth of . that of one of the large freezing works la. Wellington. The whole trouble in Auckland is the want of freezing capa- . .city; but Waikato farmers have now taken the matter in hand, and intend to , establish freezing. works of their own. , I regrat that tho secretary of the Hamil- , ton Farmers' Union, whoj by the way, is not a farmer, should have allowed himself to be made use of by opponents , of the Government: I think that, con- , sidering the difficulties they had to deal , with, the Government has done wonder- ■ fully well in keeping a sufficient supply' , of ships available for the carriage .of our produce." This is the testimony of the Auokland , Frozen Meat Company forwarded lo the Prime Minister by telegraph:—.' i ■ "We have never had to 6top for want t of freight space, for although difficult to obtain space, it has always been allotted in good time, and we have ar- ' ranged freight to the end of the first Week in February, and are negotiating now for the balance of February's quirements."Comparative Figures. It has already been stated that the task of the Government in providing for the requirements of producers has Seen made the harder this season by the abnormal early rush of stock coming forward. The following comparative statement of the exports for the latest months of the last three years show how very marked has been the rush. In October, 1913, there were exported 41,697 freight carcasses of mutton and lamb ("freight carcasses" being the trade term to signify carcasses or their equivalent), and in October, 1914, the number exported was 566,760 freight carcasses. In November, 1912, the number exported was 63,307, in November, 1913 (when tho ' strike was still unbroken) 1499 carcasses, and in November, 1914, 308,829 carcasses. In December, 1912, the number was 238,372 carcasses, in December, 1913, 241,704 carcasses, and in December, 1914, 477,415 carcasses. The increases, as ■, may be observed, are phenomenal. It has been argued also that the i exports for January of last year were not larger by reason of the fact that ', trade had been interrupted by the strike. The following figures ehould Buffice as j reply to the argument. In January, 1913, there were exported 516,551 carcasses, and in January, 1914, 787,213 carcasses. Those who contended that the trade in January, 1914, was normal, seek to prove from this contention that the freight space available for January loading this year, which admittedly is about equal to that which was available in January last year, will not prove sufficient. Whether it will prove sufficient or not is a questidn which will be tested presently by expert ence, but the figures above 6ot out would seem to show that the oritics of the Prime Minister have argued from' false premises. The Prime Minister. "What we are doing now is exactly what we have been doing since September last," said the Prime Minister yesterday. "We are trying to make provision for shipping for at least six months ahead. That is the line we have been taking. .- ■ "In the case of the Patea works, where it has been reported that there was congestion, ihe Government have take-i action which will enable . the works to keep Tunning. No aotual block occurred, but there seemed to be more likelihood of a block occurring there than anywhere else. Relief has already been afforded by providing considerable additional shipping space for the Patea Company during the month of January." > A typographical error appeared in our report of the Prime Minister's statement regarding ships available for frozen meat yesterday morning. By the misplacmg of a rtop it was made to '■ appear that a number of steamers ', named would he available for loading in January and February. They will ' m fact, all be available in February. ' ;