IMPERIL MEAT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 72, 24 November 1915, Page 7

IMPERIL MEAT.

Pee Press association. Wellington, November 23. A business man connected with the English meat trade makes some interesting comments on the imperial Government’s purchases. In the course of a letter to a local firm, he says: “We were under a strong impression at the time that the prices paid for Government meat during the first few months must have resulted in large profits, but w© now begin to doubt whether this haa really been the case, owing to the enormous charges incurred through the increase in freights and demurrage, owing to vessels waiting to discharge, steerage difficulties, etc. If we are right in our conclusion that demurrage has been ! paid the amount must have been*©noi •’ mous. Owing to the difficulty of disj charge many vessels were being held up for weeks. There is no doubt, also, that storage expenses must have been very heavy, as it waa policy to fill up stores with a huge reserve before releasing any meat to the public, and arrivals here have been ample all along to keep these large' reserves always intact. Consequently, old lines have been released only to make room for new. Thus storage charges have accumulated to a considerable 'artent <>“ a B meat released. We gather also that considerable storage charges must have accumulated on your side. On th© whole the early (mouths must have been remunerative to the authorities but not to the ex‘fcent at first estimated, while the progaat prices can be little more than blear Best, if thoy do ttortb® i