FOR ARMY SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2623, 19 November 1915, Page 6

FOR ARMY SUPPLIES

FIRST SHIPMENT OF CHEESE

THE MEAT SCHEME

Tho first shipment of cheese purchased by. the New Zealand Government to the order of the Imperial Board of Trade for Army supplies is going on board the Karamea at Wellington to-day. There are 204 crates in the lot, worth in all about £1000. It is expected that other shipments will be sent in tlio Orari,' leaving this month, and in the Ruapehu, leaving early next montli. Shipments of South Island cheese will not commence until next month.

Up to date there has been shipped to tho order of the Board of Trade 350,052 quarters of beef, 2,055,692 carcasses of mutton, and 2,959,264 carcasses of lamb, and the total payments for this meat have been £5,789,343. Left in stores in New Zealand now there are about 150,000 freight carcasses of meat, say a shipload aud a half, but new season's moat is now beginning to come into the North Island works. Thirtyseven. steamers loaded, with New Zealand meat purchased by the Government have arrived at their destinations, 19 are on the -way, and 3 are now loading in New Zealand ports. Owing to shearing having been decayed by wot weather, there has been no early rush of fat stock to the works. Another factor which is operating is the high price ruling for meat for local consumption. Throughout the winter butchers have been paying more for fat stock than the Government pays for meat for export, and fanners are inclined to take their chance of local sales at tlio high prices, and for this reason have not put stock through the works. Grass is now abundant. When the shearing is over and bigger quantities of stock quickly reach prime condition, the rush will commence, and next month tho North Island season should bo in full swing. I A booklet has been issued by the Government giving a history of tho" meat 'purchase scheme. It contains this paragraph : "There will be ships" tho Prime Minister assured the anxious producers ata time when there appeared to bo no ships in sight to take away their meat. No fewor than 1,500,000 more carcasses were carried during tho twelve months ended September 30 last than durinsr the previous corresponding period. There were, however, eighty-five ships during the twelve months above referred to, compared with eighty-one ships for tho same period of 1913-14.