The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JANUARY 30 1902. ARGENTINE COMPETITION.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 327, 30 January 1902, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JANUARY 30 1902. ARGENTINE COMPETITION.

'J he Napier Telegraph publishes a letter from a Napier resident, giving an extract which goes to show that both in quality and in price the Argentine heef is scoring over that from New Zealand. The Napier journal then goes on to take a view rather differ-

ent to that ordinarily adopted by the people of New Zealand. It bolds that

while the Imperial Government should not go out of their way to favor Argentine. meat, since it is cheap and good they certainly should ’ not tabooit. They have acted on that prin-. eiple, for in inviting tenders all they have done is to specify that Argentine

meat will be accepted. To accept all the Premier says on this subject . would be to suppose that the War Office had barred Australasia in favor of the Argentine. Of course nothing of the kind is the ease. Under the conditions the representatives of Australian and New Zealand meat supply agencies could tender, and, if their tender were accepted, supply meat from this part of the world or from Argentine, whichever suited them. Besides, it seems to he overlooked that ever since the war commenced supplies of meat from Argentina have been pouring into South Africa, and that without them the army could not have been fed. Those Australian “ experts ” who talk of permitting Argentine meat to be supplied encouraging the establishment of a steamer line from Soutli America to Africa, forget (or they never knew, in spite of being experts)), that this meat lias been going in quantities 10 South Africa for more than two years, and going in direct steamers latterly. There remains the objection that tender forms were received in New Zealand too late to be filled in and returned to the War Office before the time for receiving tenders closed. This ignores what we thought everybody might have known, namely, that the Australian meat supply agencies have Lon--don offices. Tenders sent in by them will go through those offices. The large quantities of Australasian meat

which have been consumed in Africa since the war started represent sales made through the London offices. The Telegraph continues For the rest, as we said when on a previous occasion

we referred to this question, all the good meat which New Zealand can spare will find its accustomed mar- 1 ket or another. If it has in this matter to meet the competition of British firms who breed sheep and cattle in Argentina, that will be nothing new. If it were something new it would not be. prejudicial to us in New Zealand in the manner suggested. Under the

hypothesis piuch of the immense quantity of Argentine meat consumed in Britain would find its way t,.> Africa. That is admitted. But it could only do so by leaving a gap in British market arrangements which would cause an increased demand for New Zealand meat in Britain. The Telegraph, in summing up, declares that Australasia cannot escape Argentine competition, neither can the War Office help buying Argentine meat. If the War Office had barred it from the contracts, New Zealand and Austra-

lian patriots with an eye to the main chance- would have rushed it into Africa via London with Australasian '■"nnds on it. II tliat is a hard sayut*— we to conclude with reins, What an, . ~ r i he New Zeatrard to that member laii i Parliament who demaiiffen u.— the despatch of the Eighth Contingent should depend upon, the War Office barring Argentine meat. Imagine one whose patriotism is so based (we do not say “ base ”) being a meat dealer, and having the chance to, to—well, to do what he thought expedient! The arguments adduced are

certainly worthy of attention, but they do not get over the contention that other things being equal, or nearly so, Great Britain should give her own colonies the preference.