FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 162, 18 October 1910, Page 8

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Till': AMERICAN MARKET. INTERVIEW WITH THE PRIME MINISTER. By Tel^&i^i. —Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), in an interview with a Lyttelton Times reporter, referring to the position of the frozen meat trade, said that the Iligh Commissioner had been rei|iu'steil to attend the conference at Vienna, with a. view to watching the interests of the New Zealand industry. He had not yet received the High Commissioner's report, but expected to receive before long a cable message dealing with important points agreed upon at the conference, and with the prospects of getting New Zealand meat into some of the European countries. It would lie a great advantage if the Dominion could get a market there in addition to the valuable London market. If the European market were opened to any outside countries, it would assuredly be' opened to New Zealand, if for 110 other reason than the general recognition of the fact that the quality of the Dominion's mutton was unsurpassed. He was also very hopeful that New Zealand would he able to obtain a market for its frozen meat on the western coast of America by means of the two refrigerating steamers, the Aoran»i and Maitai. The former would leave Wellington on October 10th, and the later on November 16th for San Francisco. Judging by the prices ruling both in Europe and in the western parts of America, there was a considerable margin, which ought to enable a trade to be opened up on profitable lines. He did not shut his eyes to the fact that those things could not be done hurriedly, and that owners of produce had to satisfy themselves that, unless they could obtain c.i.f. sales, the ri.-'k was not too great for them to try to work up a trade by consignments. However, lie was quite satisfied that the enterprise of those connected with the j Dominion's products generally, such as' meat, butter and cheese, would, in the future, as in the past, undertake the necessary preliminary work to satisfy themselves in regard to the prospects'of a profitable trade. As to coming into conflict with the American meat trusts, those combinations, owing to the increase in the population of the United States, were compelled to a large extent to devote themselves more to supplying their own people than to working up an- export trade which, some years ago, was a very important element in helping them to maintain prices locally. The conditions 3iad changed somewhat, ancl he 'doubted" very much if it would be worth while for those fit the fafead of the meat trcule in America to apply the usual engine of coercion against New Zealand, a? the quantity of meat and other frozen products the Dominion could send would I be merely a drop in the bucket in relai tion to the consuming capacity of the ■ teeming millions in that country. At all events, the two refrigerating steamers ; would afford an opportunity of testing the market in the only practical way in which it could be tested. He hoped that exporters would take advantage of that opportunity of gaining a fresh market, and would .give it a thoroughly effective trial.