The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1883. FROZEN MEAT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 26, 29 December 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1883. FROZEN MEAT.

3?ije Lytjfceltoit- Tjoies gives the following^extrabt Iroai a private letter received by la«t mail from England : — " I Saw some . -.-xnuttpn last Saturday m Leadenhali market ticketed • New Zealand mutton,' and was told on inquiry that iti was ex Catalonia. I am perfectly sure it was not New Zealand mutton at all, as , it was very small, very poor looking, ancj' very dark m appearance. It was so bad altogether that I am sure you ? for instance, would not have had it on yi>ur table.ai-al}, or anyone else who could afford better. What~you .^ftnt;, is shops ijnder the manivgeiner^t of freezing Qompany, to retail the real New Zealand article, 1$ n)uat do the trade an immen.se amount of hsirin fof'anybutoher to batfe the power to ticket anything he likes as New Zealand mutton; and this will alwaysbe the case until reliable men are provided to sell nothing else but the real'thin§;. Surely- some such arrangement could easily be made." There is no doubt that every possible prejudice is being brought to bear by interested parties at Home to disparage the frozen meat trade. In a casual conversation with tyr. W. H. Watt, M.H.R., a few days ago, ; he i.infoiimed.us' \€hat a. friend of his, now at Home, formerly residing near Wanganui, took a very eager interest m all matters appertaining to the j frozen: xasa.s Uri#e. VM-v i-W ATT had received many * long and interesting letters, from nim on the subject. In several of these hi&frieiidjs l pokeiQ£..fcbS. j. prejudice entonained against New f Zealand mutton by all olasses of people . interested; m. the butchers' orgraziers\ business. Svery little defect appears to be made the very most of to the disadvantage of our colonial product. ■ Prejudice ia«at work iftietfery direction^; and m many cases backed up by power-. j fijl mer&ttitileinterest. In' our opinion < theronly way to cotnbat tjjese fpes ia to | establish - reapotisiWe and aooredil ed agents lor the sale of the frozen mutton m the larger cities m Great Britain. These agencies should be for the saieof : hbthiri^ : But New Zealand frozen mutton, and be Jinder the control of one .head office, which should undertake transhipment, storage, - classification, distribution, <kc. Until something of j this kjnd j^cjHPP New, §ealan<J mutton will noi. hayejihe saje. it ought to have, j n<?i,* wiJl.tie shippers derive" the benefit j ,they... otherwise would. The trade is j only yet m its infancy, but if it is to develop^iftto ihtJ grand branch of commerce whfch," it qnght tq bringing m immense annual' wealth to the wo-

ducers, it must be^protcpted against the influence of unstecrttpuloaaijcouibinationg, the effects of whipn, if not xoiujferacled, would be to seriously:. chimage. |K'e prospects N of the ixi^p. a arljy, and fbj: som^ioieto'com^ ...