GOOD TIDINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 255, 3 December 1909, Page 3

GOOD TIDINGS.

SATISFACTORY PROSi'EUTS IN HOME -tfA KK BEEF, MUTTON, AND WOOL. A close observer, Mr. T. E. Crosse, of Hawke's Bay, who returned to the Dominion on Wednesday, after an eighteen months' absence in England, made some interesting observations to a Wellington Times representative concerning the trade prospects of our staple products in Great Britain in the near future. SHABBY MbAr. As a sheepfarmer for many years, Mr. Crosse •naturally took a k'cen interest in matters relating to tile mutton trade, and was disappointed with what he found. "When I left," he said, "the mutton market was in a very bad way. At Smithfield it struck me that it was not being looked after in the same vigorous style as it was 011 my last visit, five years ago. lliere was a far bigger preponderance of shabby meat on the market than when I was last there, I do not say it was all New Zealand meat, ! but it was practically all sold as mutton coming from here. Shops that sell Argentine meat do not advertise it as such. It was sold as New Zealand meat so far as I could learn. It is all quoted in the, London daily market reports as refrigerated me.it, and the shops sell it as New Zealand. SHRUNKEN BEEF.

"The prospects foil beef are good. When looking over tlie majority of the Smithfield quarters, however, one can always see the tremendous waste that ensues through the beef shrinking back from „thc hone—so much so that it means a of four joints of prime beef in some instances. Of course, the hotter the animal is when cut the greater the shrinkage. If the beasts could be quite cooled here before the quarters were cut ill two the probability is that there would not be sujth fv shrinkage." And what means do you suggest should lie taken to ensure the New Zealand mutton and beef being fairly dealt with bv sellers in the Old Country?

"Of course, that is a big questio t, replied Mr. Crosse, "and I would rot like to suggest anything in this connection, but there is undoubtedly room for great improvement. The mere fact of so much shoddy meat competing against the good meat brings down all the prices. No one can question that." (JOOD WOOL ' PROSPECTS. What were the wool prospects? "The wool prospects' were never better, especially for March. They were absolutely safe for -March. When I lelt the markets were bare and English wools were all selling at very full values. They are not skirted or sorted like our wools, but in spite of that the good ones were selling as high as Hd per lb. You can compare that with Is Id for ours which are skirted. All kinds' were selling at, full values, including the coarse Highland .Scotch fleeces. All the wool men were so keen to get wjiat they could that .it was absolute proof that the markets were bare of all kinds of wool. The factor that raised wool to such a high price in July and August last was the American buyers. l''or the wools that suited them they gave 3d more than any of our people on the Continent. That is the reason why growers got Is Id and Is 2d per lb for the top lots', while the next lots, not being suitable for the American market, shrank perhaps 3d a pound. I attended a good many of the sales, and in all eases where the Americans did not bid the lots being sold brought 3d less than when they competed."

' THE RUSH FQR NEW ZEALAND. Speaking with regard to assisted immigration, Mr. Crosse said people would come to the Dominion in solid numbers if there was room enough on the steamers. It was very difficult to get a passage. A man who desired to come with the speaker had been refused, for no apparent reason, an assisted passage. The supervision now exercised at Home was strict and the responsible officials were now very earelul. The condition of ordinary labor was not at all bad. Farm laborers in the North of England were very scarce. In the south of Scotland farmers could scarcely get labor at all though the remuneration offered was good. How is it that the people desire to coine here instead of taking the work offering at Home? "They do not like the long hour- at Home." They prefer to come out here on account of the shorter hours and because they are keen on getting land. The land for settlement policy is the great magnate in my opinion."