AN OBSERVANT NEW ZEALANDER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 21

AN OBSERVANT NEW ZEALANDER.

DOMINION PRODUCTS AT HOME. CFxoh Oub Own Coebespondent.) ■Ar CHRISTCHURCH, August 10. Mr W. R. May, of Richmond, Nelson, who has returned from a tour to England Scotland, and France, and is at present in this di&tnct, told a Press reporter that he spent some time in rinding out the -tricks of the meat trade. He found that after the shipments had been cut up by syndicates and companies, New Zealand lamb waa marked in the retail shops at from lOd to Is 3d per lb, ranged on the hooks not far from Argentine muttton, which, was marked down to 2d per lb. In few instances did he find New Zealand lamb or mutton sold as such. The retailers sold it as Home-grown Canterbury lamb or mutton, the Canterbury meant being the English Canterbury. In one shop Mr May observed one or two carcases of New .Zealand mutton, the -plumpne&s of whicKmade it unmistakable, but the tags had been removed, and that means of identification seemed lost. The shop assistant was assuring Mr May it was entirely Home-fed, etc., and the visitor was praising its fine quality, when he suddenly detected the remains of a ticket with fche letters,' " Isl," the be- , ginning of the word " Islington/ and then he interviewed the owner of the shop | and explained matters. A friend with , whom he was staying in the country promised him a treat in the shape of a prime joint of New Zealand mutton, but encountered much difficulty in getting exactly what he wanted, at anyrate under the description given. Mr May holds the opinion that the Dominion growers of lamb and mutton should start retail shops for a time as. the best remedy for bringing the New Zealand meat before the British public, " and," added Mr May, " I think the Agent-general is of the opinion that some energetic step should be taken." ,

Being interested very much in the butter trade and having 40 years' experience of it, Mr May made it his business to try to solve the problem of what be<comes of the best dairy butter exported from here. There could be no cloubt whatever that the butter offered for feale retail , as Mr May proved by making private purchases, was not of the highest class, and his impression was that the best butter with the least percentage of moisture was purchased by the margarine makers. Some of the information which Mr May gleaned, he thought, had best not be told in cold print, but the dairy factories, he considered, would be well advLsed if they undertook the sale of their butter in retail stores. At ofie store where he purchased a lib roll of Danish and New Zealand respectively, the counter hand, who charged Is 3d for the former and ls> 2d for the latter, when asked wherein the difference of price lay, said he preferred the New Zealand, but supposed it , was the name Danish that made the retail price Id per Ibmore. Mr May said he did not see why, if j certain firms named could make a good dividend out of selling epecial lines, a '

New Zealand produce distributing company should not aho net a handsoma return.

Referring to the High Commissioner's Chambers in London, Mr May said tha Victorian, New South Wales, Western Australian, and Canadian Commissioners were to be found in one of the principal thoroughfares — the Strand, — while the New Zealand office was in a back street. The attractions of the other colonies.' officers were evident from the interested crowds that entered them or inspected them from the outside. The traffic passing was immense, but the New Zealand oftice and its attractions languished in a neglected neighbourhood.