MEAT EXPORT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3362, 15 December 1919, Page 3

MEAT EXPORT.

HIGH PRICES ABROAD. AN AUSTRALIAN ON THE OUTLOOK. Mr VV, Angliss, who has just returned to Australia from an extended business tour in Grelat"P~l~it,ain, the Continent, and Aniariea, is 'one of the captains of. the Victorian meat industry. He stated that his inquiries abroad were the result of an invitation made by members of the inter-State confer.» ence on meat export held in .\—lelbourne in November last. “I was in -London fourteen weeks,” he said. “There I found great diffieulty in securing .re-frigeratingwspace, and it was very hard to move ‘the authorities at the other end. Victoria has been in 'very ‘bad position, owing to a lack of space. After ~persist.ent ol‘r"ers, we at last got the au'thorities to make promises .'rega:'ding frei-ght and space. The export of all meat from the United States to Great Brinain at the ‘time was stopped, ,except pork. This was done in. order to make more space for frozen meat from Ans» tialia available. Sir Thomas Robinson, acting for the British Government, ‘then called a meeting of I‘;?ps'oS('.llt’3.tives of me:lt ('XpOrtC:l'_: of Ans'tr-alia, to go into the question of entering into fresh contracts with the meat suppliers of" Australia. The "representatives decided that the time was not

opportune for them to go into the question of prices until it was known wlrat the British Government was doing in South America. ‘The Australian representatives then told Sir Thomas Robinson that they would recomme-nd that the Australian price be no-t lower than that which wa.s paid to South Ameriost. .. _ “We were told by Sir Thomas Robinson, that our Australian Contracts with the British Government expired on Sept_ 28, 1919, but since leaving London I have received a cable stating that the Board of Trade does not agree with the decision that the contracts expired, I have not yet received advice as to wherther Great Britain has arranged to contract ‘with South Anierica, but i 'h.ave'been inforrped that the British Government Was‘ not at all anxious to buy the mutton and lamb firom South America, as it considered that sufficient. quantities were available in Australia and New Zealand. 01; the other hand, the beef of South Americla ‘is ‘badly needed in Great. Britain and the Continent. “There is a very strong tendency at Home to try and keep down the prices of meat, with :1 view to keeping down The cost of living as much as possible. and there seems very little prospect of obtaining the large increase in. the price of melat asked for by the Australian producer. “I got into touch with two of the Allied .Con'tinental countries in con-

neetion with the suppl_v,of meaf, and could have enterec} into large contracts there and then, but lack of refrigerta~ ing prevented it. Before leaving London I‘ was infdrnled that England, besides supplying ‘her own meajt. supplies from her imports, would also -supply the requirements of France, Belgium, and Italy. The requireme-nts of France alone are 250,000 tons :7. year. “The 'Unit,ed States should be a

good nvarkef. for mut-ton and lamb‘ in the future, provided mcfrigerating space on the vessels is made available. ‘ “The cost of living is ztrcmendously cheaper in Australia. than in any part of the Continent. or in America or in Can'ada.,- alld”E)ne can only come to the conclusion that the wéoi-king'man of Australia is very 11iucI1'bette1' off than in any of -the above coun'tl'ie.S.”i