New Zealand Meat.

Manawatu Herald, 2 June 1903, Page 2

New Zealand Meat.

The “ Westminster Gazette ” says that the scheme of Mr Seddon, Premier of New Zealand, for the establishment of shops in the United Kingdom where meat may be sold retail at cost price, in a stirring advertisement for New Zealand mutton. Possibly, however, says the newspaper, Mr Seddon reckons without the meat rings, and may find that two can play the same game—secure a vast business by sacrificing profit. EXPLANATION BY MR REEVES.

Mr W. P. Reeves, Agent-Gene-ral for New Zealand, in an interview regarding Mr Seddon’s scheme, said it would be a systematic adver tisement carried out in a complete way, and ought fiio benefit honest private dealers. It was intended, Mr Reeves added, to wage war on the selling of River Plate meat as New Zealand. The Manchester District Meat Retailers’ Association has resolved that if Mr Seddon persists in his scheme the association will discontinue the sale of New Zealand meat. Glasgow dealers deprecate the scheme. * The Premier in conversation with a Times reporter, stated that the fulfilment of the scheme referred to in the London “Daily Express” is now only a matter awaiting Parliamentary sanction and the necessary appropriations to cover the costs of the building and stores that they may be required. The proposal was first made by Mr H C. Cameron, Produce Commissioner in London, when the Premier was at Home, and the matter was broached in some of the Premier’s earliest speeches after arriving Back in the colony. The Produce Commissioner is now on his way to the colony, and should arrive in the course of a few days. When here he will make exhaustive inquiries into the matter to give evidence before a Parliamentary committee on the whole question of the distribution of meat tn the Mother Country. The Premier stated there is no intention on the part of the Government to cut prices or to enter into competition with exporters now doing business. It is not intended to compete with those already selling New Zealand meat or to injure or prejudice those supplying from the colony. The term “ coat,” as telegraphed on Friday, is misleading. The market would vary and the prices would have to be charged so as to cover expenses. Mr Cameron considers that the distributing empori-

urns would be self-supporting. At Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham New Zealand meat is scarcely procurable, although there have been a number of prosecutions of persons for selling Argentine meat as New Zealand. “The 1 *dea •is,” said the Premier, “ that on" 6 we have established emporiums and created a demand for Now Zealand meat in the centres in which the emporiums were first established, the local tradesmen will take them over, and we can shift the emporiums to other centres."