THE PRICE TEST

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 61, 13 March 1934, Page 6

THE PRICE TEST

Politicians belong to the sanguine order of prophets, but there is no test of value so trustworthy as that of the market. Much roseate prediction, for instance, has been associated with the chilled beef trade in Australia, and on technical evidence, furnished by trial shipments this has been justified. But there is a wide difference between chilled beef as Smithfield market understands the term and'-beef exported chilled mii stead of frozen as the Australian and New-.Zealand grazier may regard it. The.chilled beef of the Argentine which Smithfieid knows is a prime quality article, a specialty in meat bredv.frpm the best stud stock raised in.-. England for: the purpose. Successful shipments of. chilled beef from-i, Australia and. New' Zealand lhave now been made and are passing out, of the1 stage., of experiment; but the weak spdt in this trade is the type of beef bred for export from New Zealand as. well as Australia. However,;, this: Tyeakhess can hie made to disappear ; in a;few years' time, providing^the trade warrants bringing up theL.,stock' to. the. Argentine "roast-beef-of-old T England" quality. It is announced-by cable today that New Zealand: chilled beef has arrived on the .British markets in "splendid condition;"" arid-has realised Id per lb more than froze)i beef, or per lb belpw Argentine.' Here is the market testj^the real ;test, and it must be regarHed,,as ,mosf encouraging to all engaged in, it^tlie producer, shipping carrier, and distributor. ' Technical difficulties;-apparently, .have been overcome, and the strongest test has been applied to the trade with most gratifying results so far as they go.