Frozen Meat Trade.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 161, 10 January 1896, Page 2

Frozen Meat Trade.

FRAUDULENT ACCOUNT SALES. The following communication on the above subject has been received from the Agent- General in reply to a message from the Premier ;— London, November 29th, 1895. Sir,— Referring to your memo, dated 30th September last, in which yon draw my attention to my article in the Mark Lane Express of 27th May last, which stated that a certain meat agent paid £7000 and costs in order to settle out of Court a prosecution for rendering fraudulent accounts, and ask me to make enquiries as to the truth of the state* xnent made, I have to state that I have not been able to obtain fall information as to the facts. Some persons well informed consider that the amount of money stated in the article is much exaggerated. In other quarters names were given to me ; bat as the evidence was merely hearsay, Ido not think I am justified in giving them, even confidentially, in an official communication. There seems to be little doubt, however, that the action referred to arose out of dealings in American beef, and was in no way connected with the New Zealand trade. There can be no question that the system of rendering account sales by salesmen at the large meat markets is a very loose one, requiring the attention of those engaged in the trade ; but the particular fraud referred to was, as far as my informant goes, confined to dealers who nave no connection with the New Zealand meat trade.— l have, &c., W. B. Perceval.