COMMERCIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1921, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

AN UNJUST RISE IN FREIGHT, By Telegraph.—‘Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Jan. 18. The action of the Government in raising the freight on New Zealand cheese to l£d per lb is condemned as unjustifiable in view of the falling freight rates in other directions.—'United Service. THE TIN MARKET. London, Jan. 18. The weakness in the tin market is due to dullness in the East, where there are no bids, and a continuance of realisations here.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. FROZEN MEAT PROSPECTS, Messrs. R. Arlow and Co., Ltd., have just received the following advices from their London agents, Messrs. L. C. Ballantine and Co.: “We have to advise you that the general industrial situation in the United Kingdom is cause for considerable alarm. Unemployment is noticeably on an increasingly large scale;’ prices in almost all commodities, whether food or manufactured goods, are dropping perceptibly, and we consider it our duty to advise you of this. “At the present time the Government New Zealand mutton and lamb holds up its price because of the great shortage of this particular article, but Homegrown meat, which is now fairly plentiful, is getting weaker. In pork, a considerable drop has occurred, and a further drop is likely. Home-grown mutton even which is none too plentiful is cheaper than of late, and as a consequence of the general situation there is not the same eagerness to deal c.i.f.e. as there was a month or two ago. Without committing ourselves at the present time we should-think that there will be a slump iu the meat trade in future, as in all other trades and industries, and the situation will require very careful watching.” Commenting on this, Messrs. Arlow report that during the past, fortnight, the c.i.f. value of new season’s prime New Zealand lamb has dropped one penny per lb., prime wethers have dropped threefarthings, whilst ewes have shown a similar ' decline. Prime New Zealand ox beef is hardly saleable at all at a reasonable price in London, although one or 'two small parcels have been sold c.i.f. terms in Glasgow. Cow and bjill beef is similarly at a discount, as English buyers have withdrawn, /anticipating lower prices.