WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

FROZEN -MEAT. (Special to “Giiardi-Ji”.) WELLINGTON, April 15. The quotations for frozen incut rubied to New Zealand and received by private firms and the .Meat Hoard arc merely selections from the weekly quotations of the British Incorporated Society of .Meat Importers, and the quotations are not for selected lines, but parcels fairly representative of the shipments on offer. During the past four or live weeks both mutton and lamb have declined and the latest reports show that the market for both classes of meat is weaker. Frozen beef on the other hand has gone hack very little in value and the market is reported firm. Unfortunately New Zealand was wrongly advised not to worry over the beef trade, with the result that our export of this class of meat is now very small. In January we exported 7 ISO quarters, and in Febraurv 12,(i77 quarters, which is very trifling compared with Australian shipments and insignificant when compared with South American exports. There is unquestionably a good outlet for nil grades of N.Z. beef, even aged cow, and if exported as boneless beef would find a market on the Continent. However, there is little use anticipating anv big developments in New Zealand beef trade as we have not the cattle available. There is reason to believe that Australia will show considerable progress in this trade, more especially if a satisfactory chilling process can he discovered. The Australians are groping for this process and advices Imm Melbourne state that on .March Ist, the Port Darwin sailed from Melbourne carrying n small trial shipment of chilled beef treated under a new process. It appears that tests have been carried out by chilling and holding beef in store under export conditions for some time past. These having proved satisfactory it was decided to send a parcel Home. This new process is being exploited by the Perfect Fund Process Proprietary Ltd., which was recently registered in Victoria with a capital of £IOO,OOO. It is stated that the chamber where the meat was hung prior to shipment was provided with air valves below and above the hooks. Circulating cold air was passed through these and over the quarters. This trial shipment should soon he on the market and it will he interesting to watch the results. UPSET TO BUTTER SHIPMENTS. The trouble occasioned by waterside labour a few weeks ago in refusing to handle frozen meat and which led to overseas steamers being delayed lias apparently upset the regularity and volume of shipments of dairy produce with the result that the arrivals of butter and cheese in the United Kingdom in April, May and June will he verv much larger than the figures for the corresponding months of last year. The figures are based on present allotment, and sailing dates of steamers allotted. The arrivals in April are expected to reach 7500 tons of butter against 5032 tons in April last year, and 10.000 tons of cheese against 7201 tons. In May the expected arrivals are 10.000 tons of hotter against 7118 tons in .May last year and 11,000 tons of cheese against 12,070 tons; in Juno the figures are butter 8000 tons against 3732 tons, and cheese 0400 against 1022 tons. Next month the European season for butter export will begin and as the Baltic States and Siberia are expected to increase their shipments and bring them lip to 25 per cent of the pre-war level, there will he an abundance of butter on the London market in May and June, and prices must sillier in consequence. This season is likely to he the turning point in. the dairy produce trade, that is to say Unit production will very nearly have balanced consumption at current prices. Of course, consumption can alii ays lie stimulated by a reduction in prices, lull such a movement would nut sqll, the New Zealand dairymen, who maintain thai less than Is fid per lb for butler-fat would not pay I hem. WONDERFUL SYMPATHY. On Easier Monday the bulletin respecting ihe Prime Minister’s illness was far from pleasant reading and one could not help being impressed with the,wonderful sympathy shown by all classes. It is genuine heartfelt xyinpathv that I lie people of Wellington feel for the Prime '.Minister whom they have known and studied at close range. He is imresevedly recognised as a great man. and if earnest wishes could help him in his recovery he has that from the entire population of the city. It is recognised that Mr Massey will be unlikely to lend the House in the coming session and people are wondering wlint is going to happen. One shrewd observer expressed Lho opinion that the Ministry will carry on with Sir Francis Bell as Acting-Premier with one of the other ministers to lead the House. Contentious legislation will t he avoided as far as possible, the l session will probably he cut short in view of the election and the Dunedin Exhibition, and it is hoped that the hulk of the Liberals will help the Government to stave off any censure motion, as a. dissolution would not ho much of a gain to any of the parties. Einauce (declared this observer), is the trouble, and it remains to he seen what is going Lo he done in this respect. There may he a fusion of parties with Sir Joseph Ward in a prominent place, hut one tiling is certain and that is that flic present Government will presently cease to govern.