The Daily News. THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1903. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 6, 8 January 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1903. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

some interaating particulars regarding bis important industry appiared in tin Sydney Evening News a forti ight ago. )ur Sydney contemporary, in vii w of ihs c[ib!ey that New Zealand m?iit was filing in London at 5 5-16 d per lb„ nterviewed Ciptain A. W. Pearse, of ihe Pctstoralisls Review, who is a luthoiiiy on everything c_>nc.rning pastoral interests. The result goes to ihow how kindly everything affecting 3ur interes's and our doings is watched oy our Au-tralian neighbour?, and bon irdetitly the Argentine is pushing tb» trade, both in London and Sout.b Africa. Such information cannot be too widely circula'ed, as it shows how necofsary it is that every effort shou'd be made by this colony to opau up new markets wherever possible. Be ferring to the high prices, Captain Pears j sad:-" This would be very satisfactory to New Zealand meat ship p?is if they had any mutton in Lon ion to sell, but unfortunately Ljndon i almogt, if not quite, baro of New Znland meat. Suce Novtmber the st> only thrfe ships have arrived in Lon don, with, in all, 49,200 »he?p and 23,390 lambs, and not a ship has arrived there during the past fortnight the London stores mmt be almosi clear of New Zealand meat. Only one ship, the Rimutaka, in expected this mouth, with 27,000 sheep and U,7uC lamb?, ai.d the Karamea eirly ir Jduuaiy with 36,914 sheep and 456( limbs. It will be the beginnirg o! March before New Zealand meat be gins to arrive in London in any qu-m ti!y. This year an unusually hau spring has thrown New Zeilaod bad six weeks. As regards b-ef, thei haven't shipped much for months. Onl; 880 quarters have arrived since the 5 i "f November, and only 1700 quarter are f.float. Th»y are shipping sonji meat to South Africa, but that dee an' affect their Lendon trade, because th. few sheap they are sending are second diss—not the sheep to suit th< Lindon market. So far thty hav sent about 41,000 sheep and 5001 quaiters of beef to South Africa " Those who are gainiDg by these bigl prices are the Argentine meat com paniee, who are sending about 220,001 carcases of mutten and 70,000 quai ter of beef to England every m mth. Thei quality is quite as good as the bulk o the New Zealand meat, and a lot of i is as good as best Canteibuiy. Ev.r man I meet who knows what meat i" Bays the same. This evidence wa given before the Mett Commistioi which lately sit in Welling'on, bu was furp'sely suppressed bo as not ti advertise Argentina meat, Thetoaeoi Argentina does not maintain highe prices is because the three River P.at companies, who work together, fix thi price ef their meat every week for thi week, and fix it purposely bslo* Nev Zealand - generally about fm-eightb of a penny per lb-and sell at tba without variation. New Zealand eel! htr mutton fer any pries she ran get and it is constantly jumping up an( Jdowr, whereas Argen'ine keeps stuady This does not agree with the previou 'statement that the price of Argentina i meat is r«gul,ted to sell below Nev Zealand meat, If that is done price : must vary, as th# p: ice of New Zealani meat dors. Captain Pearca goes on ti say: "New Zealand supplies bein; jii regular, they are constantly losin! customers, who are forced to go ti Argen'ine companies ; and it is harde: to get back a client than to get a nev one, especially if the meat is as good and cheaper. Argentina, too, is ship ping largely to Sjuth Africa. Thru or fcur ships, steamers or sailers, leayi the River Plate every week for Gap Town and Natal wi.h froz-n mi a 1 hotsfs, mu es, cattle, grain potatoes, butter, cheese, and nay. 1 is only a 14 days j urney by steam fi Cape Towd, and fair winds are gecer ally the rule, Three new works wil be in full swing theie next year, an< 'heir export will be doubled; beside; which large works are to be erected ii Uruguay directly, and (hoy havi 17,000,000 cattle to deal with in tba country. Special inducements an given by the Argentine Governmen

to meat woiks and dairy factories. They allow them to anter all their appliances duty free, and the municipal government, in several of the States guarantee five per cent, interest for five years on their outlay, and exempt tham from all local taxes.