IMPERIAL MEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1915, Page 4

IMPERIAL MEAT.

A DIFFERENT ASPECT. ENORMOUS COSTS ATTACHE!), toy felegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A business man connected with th# English meat trade makes some interesting comments oh. the Imperial Government's purchaser. In the course of a letter to a local firm, he says. "Wo wero under a strong impression at the time that the prices paid for Government meat during the first few months roust have resulted in large profits, but we now begin to doubt whether this has really been the case, owing to the enormous charges incurred through the increase in freights and demurrage, owing to vessels waiting to discharge, steerage difficulties, etc. If we arc right in our conclusion that demurrage has been paid the amount musi, have been enormous. Owing to the difficulty of dis«: charge many vessels were being held tip) for weeks. There is no doubt, also, that storage expenses must have been very heavy, as it was policy to fill up stores with a huge reserve before releasing any meat to the public, and arrivals here have been ample ail along to keep these large reserves always intact. Consequently, old lines have been released only to make room for new. Thus storage charges have accumulated to a considerable extent on all meat released. We gather also that eonsiderble storage charges mu9t have accumulated on your side. One the whole the early months must have been remunerative to the authorities hut not * the extent at first estimated, while t present prices can little more than cl<; cost, if they do that."