The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 37, 30 September 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

When the English mail which arrivea in New Zealand this week left London the general position of Great .Britain, so far as the available food stock was concerned, is stated to have been better than it had, been for many years past and possibly never before in the world’s history has frozen produce been of such vital importance to the populations of European countries as it is—and must continue to be for some time to come. At the outbreak of war, which came to the great majority of the British people quite unexpectedly, frozen meat prices quickly Went up, though there was no real ground for the rise, and the cold stores, both in London and the provinces, wore exceptionally full o, meat. One correspondent, writing on August 6th, expressed the opinion that the fate which awaited the frozen meat market was then lai gelj in the hands of the Government, which, as was only right at such a time had made arrangements to regulate the output of meat all over the country. Government officials visited all the cold stores of the Kingdom, taking exact account of their holdings. This was to facilitate the eventual demands from those stocks for the needs of the largo bodies of Army Regulars, i Reservists, and Territorials mobilised It was then that the Government would K „ so far as to fix a limit beyond which meat prices must not go; this in protection of that vast population of poor which must bo so great in this terrible time. Touching on the matter of food distribution it is stated that although the Government hat taken control of all the railways, there had not been any serious delay in the transport of frozen meat or produce on the various routes, though several of the larger distributing firms were inconvenienced by the War Office seizing their motor-vans for Arm> purposes. Considering how moment ous the time was. a wonderfully peace ful regulation obtained in the food transport trade, and the only fear which West Smithfield had regarding the trade itself was that outside speculation might make the business a very cramped one. London and the rest relied upon the fact that speculation in frozen meat will not be indulged in in the Antipodes.