DEAR MEAT PROBLEM.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 75, 25 March 1912, Page 8

DEAR MEAT PROBLEM.

; CONDITIONS IN AUSTRIA. Dr. Hogg, who returned to Invercargill on March 16th after a tour round the world, had something interesting to say to a Southland Times representative on a problem which is at present troubling the Continent a great deal—how to supply moat to the people at a price within the reach of the working man. Dr. Hogg spent some time in Vienna, and he had the opportunity of studying the methods of living and the social problems of the people, and the problems are many. How do these people live, practicvlly without meat? The average wage of the unskilled Austrian workman is 3 kronen (2s 6d) a day—lss a week. Reef is setdown by the Austrian at something approaching 4s a lb. Mutton is a little cheaper, but not. much. It can bo ima'gined how much meat the average Austrian can supply to bis wife and family of four or five children. Meat, the medical authorities say, is necessary for the health and growth of an ordinary man. Dr. Hogg said that there were 'evidences in the hospitals of semi-starvation among the patients. The iVearest thing to meat the people can get is perhaps a few bones for stewing, and even these are dear enough. Where could supplies come from ? Hungary ? Yes, they could, but the relations between Austria and Hungary are rather peculiar, even strained, and it is only the strong character of the Emperor Francis Josef which holds the two countries in any way together. There is a deep feeling of animosity between them. The Hungarian meat merchants are solid in their determination not to allow supplies of meat to go into Austria except at a big price; and it was partly through their action that the dear food riots of last year were caused. Vienna has a population bordering upon 3,000,000, and in the whole of Austria there are 60,000,000 people. What a mrket! And Now Zealand is the slowest country in the world to see the opportunity. The Argentine is anxious to secure a footing for opening up a huge frozen meat trade with the .Austrian Government, and the preliminary arrangements have so far been satisfactory. Australia, coming in next, has realised the stage of advertising its meat in tiie big newspapers of Vienna, but that is all. New Zealand has done nothing, and for that reason she barlost a great opportunity, for meat the people must have, and the Argontine authorities are alive to the position, and are straining every effort to get a good footing. Their representatives arc already in Austria, but New Zealand has not done anything towards establishing a branch of trade in which- the profits would be high and the demand great.