A PESSIMISTIC VIEW.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 279, 30 May 1895, Page 2

A PESSIMISTIC VIEW.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir,— With regard to Mr Nathan's proposal re the freezing 1 industry, there is nothing to be said against the farmers forming a " Trust ', (though the word has an ugly look) to protect, if possible, their interests, but the plea for State aid, or guarantee, is another matter. The undertaking wouli be a purely commercial and highly speculative one, and there is no safe guarantee of success, or security for the risk that must necessarily be run. If Government may equitably guarantee such a concern, then it can, and ought, to take over the whole trade and commerce of the country in one act — in short — adopt the Socialistic creed in its entirety. Our Chambers of Commerce, and leading settlers, bitterly oppose all Government legislation of the above type when applied to the masses, but how very human many of them are when it is a question affecting their own pockets. The securing of better prices for our produce is a " Consummation devoutly " desired by everyone, but if it is not to be accomplished on purely commercial lines — if the superior article which, it is alleged, we send Home will not fetch its value by the ordinary processes of trade, all the combination and Government aid in Christendom will not alter it. Mr Nathan says that retailers at Home make from 15s to 20s per sheep above a legitimate profit. Is it possible that competition is so feeble as to permit such profits being made for any length of time ? No wonder there is so much .British capital offering just now; the Home butchers have a Coolgardie in frozen meat if the above be correct. I know that it is sacrilege to say so, but I cannot help believing that our meat brings its market value at Home. Notwithstanding that visiting colonists have reported ad nauseam our frozen muttoa is equal to the Home article, it is an outrage upon common sense to believe it. It is only the characteristic colonial failing — a silly conceit of everything colonial which prevents us seeing that it is arrant nonsense. This meat, in the first place, when it leaves our shores is not equal to English, and after passing through the freezing operations, and when it reaches the table of the Home consumer it is a decidedly inferior article. Increased efforts have been put forth year by year to improve prices ; the _„ alleged superior quality of our meat has been proclaimed from the house tops, shouted from Land's End to John O'Groats, and Nelson Bros, who have made the industry their sole business, have established immense stores in London, while one of the firm is continually on the spot to watch, as it were, the mutton from the ship's slings, until it disappears down the consumers gullet, yet, in. spit© or everything the price has gone steadily down until it has almost reached London cats meat values. Nelson Bros, have made nothing out of the business. Why have they not opened retail shops and participated in the plunder if there is such a mint in it ? In support of my view as to the quality of our mutton, the Hon. G. M. Waterhouse, who visited England some time ago, reported that "Jn spite of all that has been said, frozen meat is not equal to fresh meat. . . . It is apt to get mildew and discolored ; it cannot bo mistaken for fresh meat." It is much the same with our meat, I fear, as with our fish. There have been loud vauntings about our nalional fish asset, but some time ago a shipment was sent Home, and that " South Sea bubble " is burst too. The fish

were purchased readily enough for the novelty, hut the cruel report came back — "Yon needn't send us any more • we have better fish at Home." Let every means be adopted to assist and push our export trade, eveu to Government assistance, but let the expenditure not be an unknown quality— unlimited liability. It would be a "Wild cat" undertaking to buy up semi-bankrupt, and probably soon to be obsolete freezing companies. The colony has more guarantees now than she may he able to make if called upon. £8,000,000 of insurance, and the annual endorsement of a million and a half to farmers may not be " Mere matters of form " some day. I am, &c, Pessuiist.