THE MEAT TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 116, 14 June 1909, Page 2

THE MEAT TRADE.

INTERVIEW WITH a JIAXCHESTKR TRADESMAN. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, l'jist Nignt. •Mr. A. A. o]ienshinv, a Maneiivster butcher in a large wholesale and retail way, arrived by the Wakamii yesterday. Ilis operations include Bolton and other large Lancashire industrial centres, I and lie was, therefore, well i|iialilied to speak on the slump in the New Zealand meat trade, to a l'ost reporter. He said the low prices were direetlv attributable to three causes, (!) rutting Argentine competition, (•») excessive .supplies, and (.'() the restricted purchasing power of the public, "We on the West {'oast of England must have inv.it \lieap," lie said, "If it is not cheap we •lnnot look at it. - New Zealand ItiniU has a great vogue in l<ondon. It is very fine, and i.s sometimes, but. not so often as you might believe, substituted Tor prime Home grown lainb. Many people are unable to tell the diU'cri-ncc. Xow, with regard to Argentine competition, Swifts, the big Am, iicnn meat trust people, are in there, Tliey are cutting prices, pushing the meat'{or mi u. ;» I worth, selling it very cheap, grading it well and packing it in lirst-cluss order. It has badly hit Australian mutton and lamb, and is, as a mutter of fact, superior. Hut Xew Zealand lamb still leads. The mutton is too good anil too heavy for our West Coast trade; we want; a leaner sheep. Just before 1 came away I bought Australian lamb at •I'/td for ,'jfllb average weights. There is a wry big supply U F British (Homeraised) sheep ami lambs coming right oil top of heavy supplies from Argentine and Xew Zealand and Australia, and then the people have not the money to buy, cheap as the meat is."

What do they eat when they go oil' meat?

" i'ish mostly. That is cheap when they ean get it. To say that the chee.se consumption increases as a substitute for meat is jui almmlity on the face of it. Cheese is dearer than meat as a substitute. As for the retailer, he can do very well with really fine second-grade Argentine wethers at 2%d—that is what I bought at. Hut, of course, he wants the turnover. Uis "not (hero at present. Tilings are still vxfretnely dull throughout the United Kingdom. A great revival of trade in the near future was not apparent when I left Loudon."