MARKETING PRODUCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1920, Page 8

MARKETING PRODUCE.

SIR T. MACKENZIE'S VIEWS. By Telegraph.—l'i-ess Association. Wellington, Nov. 17. Interviewed regarding the position of the produce markets, Sir T. Mackenzie said iie did not view tlie 1 all in wool with undue alarm. He looked further ahead into the statistical position and saw a great reduction ill the number of sheep tiie world over. If Russia was excluded} and very little coyld be learned about that country, speaking statistically the llocks of the world had declined by from U0 to 70 million shee|> since the war. The question of the future of the wool market was, however, a big one and he did not feel qualified at the moment to express n definite opinion, lie had to make up his loss of touch with it since leaving England. a ■. v.&ibatftigMi MEAT IN ENGLAND. Coming to meat, when Sir Thomas left London the British government was getting rid of its meat, but it was not in a satisfactory condition. The people too had gone oil' New Zealand mutton. The price had been 100 high for them and it had been rationed, so that consumption was much reduced and people went off eating meat altogether. An initial mistake was made by the Food Controller in calculating on a meat famine. There was no famine; it was all a mistake.

"I said so at the time and with emphasis. I persisted and the price of meat was reduced from Dd to 6d per lb. Consumption was then stimulated but the mischief had been done, the meat being on the hands of the Government and its condition had not improved. The reduction was too long deferred; there were too many unsightly cut carcases to be. disposed of. These were inevitable for reasons of economy in insulated space on board ship and in store, but as 1 . ay the cut carcase was unsightly and involved waste." Sir Thomas fully realised the need of alert and well qualified business men (o represent the British Dominions abroad with respect to the marketing of their products He was much impressed with Australia's representative in America. [He was a fine type of man and excellently fitted for the work he was required to do. It was now recognised j that such Dominion representation must be by good men, well backed and well paid. It was futile otherwise. The country tn be represented must get the right man, adequately pay him and strongly support him when it got him, Speaking of New Zealand export to America, Sir Thomas said lie thought lamb would have a good outlet, there. It might be as well too to insist on a certain proportion of mutton being taken with the lamb, but Americans were not mutton esters as we were and this was attributable to the fact that the domestic mutton was not first class, not up to English mutton and our own. BUTTER AND CHEESE. Butter and cheese would continue to command good prices, especially the former. There was a world shortage of butter. No one knew what was the state of the Siberian herds, and from Siberia enormous quantities of butter had come before the war. but none came now. Tlie Argentine was increasing ils export". Even if cheese did not produce the financial results expected the makers could swing over to butter. That would pay for a long time to come, at any rate until the Siberian position waft ascertained and supplies from that quarter were in sight again.