The The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1920. NEW YORK EATS LAMB.

Southland Times, Issue 18852, 18 June 1920, Page 4

The The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1920. NEW YORK EATS LAMB.

Probably no news of recent date has hat! more interest for farmers than th? account wo published yesterday of the campaign being conducted in New York by the Globe newspaper with New Zealand lamb. Producers in this country are not directly involved in the meat that is being offered to New Yorkers with a wealth of "boost” by the spirited newspaper, but the results of this enterprise may easily be of groat importance to the dominion's meat trade. It fines no; require much imagination to appreciate the changes that may be brought about the creation of a market for New Zealand mutton and lamb in the eastern part of the United State-. New York with its millions, with its immense wealth would easily absorb an immense quantity of meat if it set its mind upon having it and the diversion of our produce to that part of the world would p--ob ably have a serious effect niton the. Home market. Pastornl-if-ts in this country will probably see in the American market :he opportunity for expedition in clearing nir stores of the Imperial meat, and a si- •uhaneous advertisement for the dominion's products. At the same time the prospect of a voracious demand for meat in the Cubed Slates might raise in the future the qnwtion of the advisability of this country changing the present practice of clearing its financial transactions in London. If New Zealand became independent on London in this matter we m-ght find that the rate of exchange between this country and New York would he more favourable to us than it now is an argument which would be supported by the Amcrictfns shire it would probably lend to an increase in our buying in the United State’s, to the detriment of our trade with Britain. This question is already being discussed seriously by trailers in the dominion and the establish rnont of important markets for our products outside of Britain may bring matters to a head very rapidly. One feature of this shipment of meat to New York that will be disquieting is the appearance of Armour and Co. as the purchaser of a big portion of the Imperial meat. It has been known all along, of course, that the American packers were intimately connected with the handling of Row Zealand meat bought by the Imperial authorities and their place in the experimental shipment to New York, therefore, should not come altogether as a surprise. It is difficult to say exactly what weight is to be attached to the claim made by tire Globe that but for its activities this New Zealand lamb wordd have been entirely in the hands of the packers who would have put it on to the New York market at prices equal to (hose charged for homegrown mutton. The newspaper’s statement suggests that the original intention was that the packers should control the entire cargo, but that does not explain how the Globe became aware of the meat firm’s transaction and how it secured space on a ship that was booked up for the packers’ meat. It is not clear, of course, which party came into the meat deal first, although the evidence available so far suggests that the newspaper came into it as the second operative. The public at this end is entirely in the dark in regard to the agency through which the newspaper carried through its unusual transaction, nor are

we aware of the source of its inspiration to enter (he meat trade at this juncture. It seems to us that a little investigation into to < aspect of the matter would be of value to the pastoralists of New Zealand. The meat involved belonged to the Imperial Government, it is true, but the circumstances surrounding the deal are so unusual that it would be interesting and instructive for us to know exactly how a newspaper in New York came into the matter. It must be remembered, too, that though the operations of the Globe may have cut. down the price charged for this shipment of New Zealand lamb in New York, the publicity which the newspaper has given to its feat will have served in a large measure to improve the chances of Armour and Co. to clear their own line. People in this country, the Prime Minister at the head of them, are extremely anxious that our export trade in meat should not get into the hands of the Meat Trust, and this little transaction will therefore provide a topic for some earnest discussions. As we said before, the circumstances of the deal are such that wc should do our utmost to discover everything possible about it. It opens up possibilities for the meat trade of this country and we should not treat the Armagh’s shipment, and the amusing enthusiasm of the American journalists in marketing the lamb as a subject of small moment, or as a matter for complacent satisfaction.