OUR MUTTON EXPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 145, 16 July 1909, Page 3

OUR MUTTON EXPORTS.

: tTHE GLUT IN THE LONDON MARKET. By Cta.Me.—Press Association.—Copyrigi Received 15, 8.50. p.m. London, July 15. Meat importers' agents state tlia ' the agreement of the meat importers o raising the price of New Zealand am Australian mutton thus far is working smoothly. „ ; ' v The inclement weather is the chie cause of the glut in lambs. As the mar ket is over-supplied to the extent oi : million lambs afid a million sheep, onl; fine weather ciln save the situation. I'hi increase in prices was arranged Decaus. the .butchers feared the competition o the small barrow or stall street sales nan. Retailers are willing to pay thi extra farthing in order to keep thi costermongers out. Mr. Cameron, New Zealand Produc Commissioner, speaking at a meeting "on behalf of Mr. Hall-Jones, High Com missioner for New Zealand, said Nev Zealand was anxious to assist the trade and would circularise largely, but ii doubted the advisability of spending i£2ooo or £IIO,OOO in advertising in tin newspapers in this connection, as was suggested at the meeting. It would bi unfair for New Zealand to bear the eosl of advertising which would -benefit Aus .tralia and the Argentine equally witl New Zealand importers. The answer was given that nine-tenth; of the present stock of laiubs cani< from New Zealand. PRESS DELEGATES' VIEWS. Received 15, 11.40 p.m. London, July 15. The Colonial Consignment Company entertained the Imperial Press delegates. Sir Montagu Nelson expressed the hope that the meat trade would soon revive. The consumption in the United Kingdom had increased from 70 to 121 pounds in 25 years'. Mr. MaoDougall considered it desirable that farmers in Australasia should be brought into closer touch with the consumer, through one agency, if possible. The fewer firms .between them : tfie better. THE POSITION EXPLAINED. CAUSE OF THE GLUT. QUALITY OF THE NEW ZEALANE ARTICLE. , By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The cable message from London published this morning, in regard to ttis glut on the London meat market, w;u read with interest in Christchurch, us pecially by the persons who have personal interest in the frozen meat industry. Mr. L. Moßeth, acting secretarj of the Canterbury Frozen iieat Com pany, speaking to a reporter, said it seemed to him that the decrease in price as announced by the message was owing to the fact that there was no money circulating at home. That, at any rate was the principal cause. He felt that the price at which frozen meat was selling now was ridiculously below th-a necessities of the position. Gordon IWoodrotfe and Co., in their circular dated six weeks ago, stated: "The weakness of the sellers is to a great extent responsible for the further. decline in the values of New Zealand lambs. I'rightened by the advices of heavy shipments from the Dominion and not taking, into account the increased output, they .continue to force sales as each vessel arrives, and endeavoi to justify their sales of to-day by taking lower prices to-morrow. This refers more particularly to the choice brands of which present stocks are by no means heavy, ii fact, many firms are working from hand to mouth until they can gel delivery from ships, and most of Can terbury's that is being marketed, is oul

of vessels discharging. But for the ' weakness displayed by sellers there is : 110 reason why Canterbury lambs of all grades should not be selling at higher 1 rates. We have again to report a record j consumption for the month of May, 1 owing largely, no doubt, to the low prices ruling." . That statement, Mr. Mcßeth said, gave a very good idea of what happened, and what was happening to a large extent now. Up to the present New Zealaid had shipped 1,000,009 more carcases this year, \yith the increased output and the increased weight, farmers, ae thought, could have afforded to take less, and the sale would Aave paid them well. It' had also to be remembered that large quantities of Australian went into ( store because the prices asked could not < be obtained, and he presumed that the ( majority of these lambs were there still. The fact was that the buying powers at the other end were less than .they were last year, and there was aiso i more meat on the market. In the circumstances he thought that New Zcaiand could have afforded to take a jeasonably lower price. The prices now, ] towever, were hopelessly below the 1 value of sheep. There had never been j seat out of New Zealand a finer lot of 1 lamb than went this year. It was on ] the heavy side. Most of it was very 1 ■heavy, but his experience was that < whether light or heavy was sent it was I / always weight which was not sent that 1 was wanted. Most farmers, guided by I human nature, felt proud when they -turned out heavy weights. It was against their principles to send out produce before it had reached the " pink of condition." There was no doubt, he added, that some kind of combination should have the effect of steadying things. It had been tried before, but it fell through because it was not adliered to. It was a pity, in view of .the , quality of meat sent away this year, . to J earn of the suggestion of throwing it away on the London market. He lad had twenty-five years' experience of .the frozen meat trade, and he bad never known in any other year such splendid quality in practically the whole of the output.