LONDON V. BRISTOL.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2685, 3 February 1916, Page 7

LONDON V. BRISTOL.

Sir,—ln your issue of Friday, January 23, you printed a long letter from Mr. H. D. Vavasour, of Blenheim, in which that gentleman sets out in glowing terms the advantages of Bristol as compared with London for consignments of frozen meat. I am not holding a brief for London or any father port (as a matter of fact my firm has sent many consignments of meat. to Glasgow? Liverpool, Cardiff, Avonmouth, and ether ports, as well as London), but from luy own personal observations I feel sure Mr. A avasour is not presenting the position fairly. In tlie first place his observations of the London Docks were- made (as he admits) during tho greatest war England has ever waged. Is it surprising, therefore, that tliero was considerable congestion? I think it speaks volumes for the Port of London Authorities that to a great extent it has been a case of "business as usual" with them. Mr. Vavasour might with equal fairness compare Wellington with Picton, as London with Bristol, and say that Picton is the port wool shipments should be made from, as Wellington is overflowing with wool and it is difficult to find storage there. I have before me letters from one of the best known and deservedly esteemed men in the meat trade in England, and .who, moreover, is not "a salesman, who ia nlfio 11 bum and seller." It might, be amued with eaual fairness (?), and.

accuracy (?) that because there are some ruuholders incapable of transacting a "fair deal," most of them should be branded and classed accordingly. Extracts from these letters, under date November 17, stato: —"Buyers are holding oft, fearing a slump, especially in Bristol, where more meat has been sent than can be handled, the consequence being that stocks there can only bo moved by accepting loss than market prices. Should the market break down, the Government will be justified/in pacing lower prices in tho colonics, and if this is so, no one will be to blame but the farmers themselves. A factor, however, which is playing an important part in the depression of the markets is the discbarge in Bristol of largo quantities of meat, ox s.s. La Blanca and Somerset —large for Bristol, but hardly felt if sent to Loudon. Every store imaginable there has been pressed into service, and as nothing like the quantity can be used locally or within reasonable distance of the port, the meat is being offered in London from Bristol at prices considerably below London values; ewes which were at the same time fetching 5Jd. in. London were offering at 5Jd. from Bristol, and lambs worth in London were sold at 63d. from Bristol, a difference of }d. per lb. Tho effect has been to give London buyer,? an exaggerated impression of tho situation, they knowing nothing of tho cramped conditions and limited trade of Bristol, and imagining that stocks over the country must be heavy.". Facts such as the above discount the whole of tho assertions made by Mr. Vavasour. By tho way, is not this gentleman connected with a company formed for the purpose of attracting consignments to Bristol? _ If so, it accounts for his illogical, misleading, and obviously biassed statements. ' Trusting you will give this lotter the same prominence as that of Mr. Vavasour.—l am, etc., M. A. ELIOTT. Palmerston North, February 1, 1916. [Our correspondent perhaps overlooks tho fact that Mr.' Vavasour made it clear in his letter that tho company referred to above receives and handles produce of all'kinds in London as well as at Bristol and other porta.]