FOR ARMY SUPPLIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1915, Page 8

FOR ARMY SUPPLIES.

FIRST SHIPMENT OF CHEESE. THE MEAT SCHEME. The firrst shipment of cheese purchased by the New Zealand Government to the order of the Imperial Board of Trade for Army supplies went on board the Karamea at Wellington yesterday. There are 204 crates in the lot, worth in all about £IOOO. It is expected that other shipments will be sent in the Orari, leaving this month, and in the Ruapehu, leaving early next month. Shipments of South Island cheese will not commence until next month. Up to date there has been shipped to the order of the Board of Trade 350,052 quarters of beef, 2,055,692 carcases of mutton, and 2,989,264 carcases of lamb, and the total payments for this meat have been £5,789,343. Left in stores in New Zealand now there are about 150,000 freight carcases of meat, say a shipload and a half, but new season's meat is now beginning to come into the North Island works. Thirty-seven steamers loaded with New Zealand meat purchased by the Government have arrived at their destinations, 19 are on the way, and 3 are now loading in New Zealand ports. Owing to shearing having been delayed by wet weather, there has been ho early rush of fat stock to the works. Another factor which is operating is the high price which i 3 ruling for meat for local consumption. Throughout the winter butchers have been paying more for fat stock than the Government pay 3 for meat for export, and farmers are inclined to take their chance of local sales at the high prices, and for this reason have not put stock through the works. Grass is now abundant. When the shearing is over and bigger quantities of stock quickly reach prime condition, the rush will commence, and next month the North Island season will be in full swing. A booklet has been issued by the Government giving a history of the meat purchase scheme. It contains this paragraph: "There will (be ships" the Prime Minister assured the anxious producers at' a time when there appeared to be no ships in sight to take away their meat. No fewer than 1,500,000 more carcases were carried during the twelve months ended September 30 last than during the previous corresponding period. There were, however, eightyfive ships during the twelve months above referred to, compared with eightyone ships for the same period of 1913-14,