OUR LAMB IN AMERICA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3589, 28 September 1920, Page 5

OUR LAMB IN AMERICA.

A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

VIEWS OF MR J. B. REID,

(Published By Arrangement)

The Weekly Press of September 22nd contains some information of vital importance to New Zealand fanners. This is given in a letter by Mr J. B. Reid, of Blderslie, who writes under date of July I7th from London to the Editor in reference to the possibilities* of trade with America and Canada in frozen lamb. Mr Reid travelled to the Old Country by way of America, and his observations should provide a good line upon which to base opinions on the prospects of this trade.

“To me it is incomprehensible” (writes Mr Reid) “why the producers of New Zealand do not take a keener interest in the disposal of their products in America and Canada. There js a great demand at the present time for lamb of first-class quality, and much better prices can be obtained in those markets than in England, and only half the distance to send it. MILK LAMBS WANTED. "At the present time a considerable quantity of mutton and lamb is being sent to California and Vancouver, but nothing like the quantity I had New Zealand lamb in The Rockies, and very good it was —indeed, the managers of the hotels prefer it to any other meat available, and all that is necessary is to see that only milk lambs of first quality are sent and that no attempt is made to economise steamer space by cutting up carcases as was done during the war. Indeed, this practice should be discontinued ag soon as possible, for where the parts touch the mea't is brown and unsightly. The shops in the West End of London have been full of New Zealand lambs lately owing to the difficulty of obtainig homekilled meat, and I have watched the butchers trimming off the dark marks before handing the meat to their customers. THE TRUST. “I advocated sending lamb to California years ago, but was told that the Meat Trust would block it. Now customers are prepared to pay cash and carry away their purchases; and the shops can be closed when supplies run out and opened again when ship- . ments arrive. I fail, therefore, to see show the Trust can interfere with us, provided, of course, that the New Zealand railways are controlled by the Government. The opposition, if any, will come from the farmers in America and Canada; but it will be years before we can send the quantity required to bring this about, and in the meantime the markets are waiting for us/*