NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1921, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

HOW IT IS MARKETED. APPALLING CONDITIONS. After a stay of several months in England, Air. H. D. Vavasour, of Ugbrooke, Afarlborough, who for many years has taken a prominent part in the organising activities of the Dominion producers, has returned with a striking account of the state of affairs at Home with respect to the marketing of New Zealand-’s frozen meat, butter, cheese, and other produce. This was not Air. Vavasour’s first acquaintance with the handling of the New Zealand exports at London. It may be remembered that he made <ome outspoken comments on the subject after a first-hand investigation in 1908, and that after another visit to England in 1916 he again condemned the methods as - exceedingly unsatisfactory. What he said on those occasions Air. Vavasour now repeats with added emphasis. Referring particularly to the frozen meat trade, Air. Vavasour told a press representative that so far as New Zealand’s interests in England were concerned the conditions were simply appalling. “The meat is put on the market in a most disgraceful way,” he said, “and figuratively and literally it stinks in the nostrils of the people at Home. Our trade is in downright disrepute. • The system is about as faulty as it can be—in fact, there is no system worthy of the name. It seems to be no one’s responsibility to look after our business interests and protect our reputation. The High Commissioner’s office is absolutely no value whatever in this connection. People have no means of getting information as to where they can obtain New Zealand meat; and the same remark applies to butter, cheese, and other produce. Our disadvantages in this fespect are in marked contrast to the efficiency of the Argentine system, which ensures the placing of our rival’s meat on the market in a proper way. In the case of New Zealand trade the handling of the meat is deplorably unbusinesslike. . Our produce is presented to the public in a dirty, filthy, and most unattractive state. What else could be expected, seeing that there was no responsible authority to see that it was sent out in decent condition ?”

In 1916, Air. Vavasour went on to say, he drew attention to the necessity for a Government system of grading and branding the whole of New Zealand’s meat exportation. In communications to the press he strongly urged the desirableness of this guarantee of quality. He would now like to say that he was more than ever convinced that this would be the right thing to do. Hitherto some of the companies had been 'averse to the idea of universal grading, because they claimed that their own branding met the ease, and distinctive marks. “But,” said Mr, Vavasour, “it is imperative that the producers should combine under one Government system if their meat is to be marketed to the best advantage. There is just as good meat going forward from the North Island as that sent out -from Canterbury, and at the same time just as bad meat is put on the market from the south as that, exported from the north. Therefore there is no valid reason why a common principle should not be applied.”

NEED FOR COMMISSION. As he had observed, the manner and the condition in which our meat was ; marketed seemed to be no one’s concern. At the beginning of last year, just before Sir James Allen left for London to take up the position of High Commissioner, Air. Vavasour drew the attention of the Government to the necessity for the appointment of a special trade representative whose duty it would be to see that justice was done to New Zealand’s export interests. He repeated now that it was most essential to make such an appointment. The High Commissioner’s functions did not cover the case. He should be left to look after the general affairs of State, and in addition the Government should engage a man of the highest commercial ability, giving him a salary, say, of £3OOO a year, to attend to the business side of the country’s interests. Air. Vavasour suggested that the cost of such an establishment might be met by a tax of, say. Is per cent, on the value of the exports. This value in 1918 was twenty-eight and a half millions, the taxation of which at the rate suggested would return £14,250, which should amply provide for the proper supervision and conduct of the New 7 land trade all round. However the << st was met, the investment would, he ‘ was certain, pay handsomely. The pre- > sent system, or lack of system, was a I cause of serious loss. It was telling very severely against the finance and prosperity of the Dominion. It would be folly not to try and remedy it. A competent trade representative, working with a national grading system, should be able to cure the radical weaknesses of the present market methods. Air, Vavasour suggested that for one thing distributing depots should be established all over England, from which our meat and dairy produce could be sold. He would not go so far as to advocate State shops; but it was very necessary that the New Zealand supplies should be brought more closely into touch with the consuming public. “People constantly asked me,” said Air. Vavasour, “where they could purchase the much-vaunted New Zealand mutton, lamb, butter, cheese, etc.; and I wa< told that repeated applications for information were made to the High Commissioner’s office, but no satisfaction could be obtained. Neither our meat nor our butter gets on the retail market on its own merits. New Zealand butter has, generally speaking, been practically unobtainable. It is largely utilised for the purpose of mixing with butter of inferior quality so as to bring it up to a more saleable standard.”

lAIPERTAL PURCHASE. “The Imperial authorities’ system of purchase and control had had a most unfortunate effect on the reputation of New Zealand in the meat trade. It had intensified the position as he found it in 1908 and 1916, and was largely responsible for the present low prices. Mr. Vavasour said he was convinced i that the Dominion would have to take action on the lines he had suggested if it was going to recover its reputation. “Tn a letter published in the Dominion on January 28, 1916, I stated that when in England in 1908 I spent a considerable part of my time in investigating tlie frozen meat business, and m an interview which the New Zealand Press Association had with me z in London I complained of many abuses which then obtained, and stated that the. proper conduct of the trade seemed td be no one’s business. This time I havp come the “'inclusion that the sam<h thing

can be said of nearly the whole of New Zeak.nd’s food export trade. Aly latest experience is that the conditions have not improved, but. if anything, are worse. In '1916 I also drew attention to the congestion of our trade in London and urged that the New Zealand trade should be distributed among the four ports —London, Hull, Bristol, and Liverpool. I pointed out that, according to the official railway map of the railway clearing house of England and Wales, the area of these countries would be best served in this way. For instance, London served a population of 15,383,868; Hull, 11,282,881; Liverpool, 9,882,500; and the Bristol Channel ports, 7,669,786. Again I wish to say that I consider it essential to distribute our produce between the four places instead of dumping the great bulk of it at London. MENACE OF THE TRUSTS. “In conclusion I can only emphasise what I wrote in 1908—that it is most desirable for the New Zealand companies to put their heads together and try to devise means for properly regulating and conducting the meat trade in the Dominion. The whole position is worse than it was in 1908. It is a haphazard and unbusinesslike state of affairs, and our meat has fallen into great disrepute in consequence.” Mr. Vavasour added that he would like once again to warn New Zealand against the American meat trusts. He fully agreed with the views expressed by Mr. W. D. Lysnar in an interview in Afay as to the disastrous effect of the trust methods in the. interests of the American farmers. While in England'he noticed Sir Francis Bell’s reply to the protest made by the United States Government against the refusal to grant Armour and Company a meat export license—that this action was based on the report of the Federal State Commission —and he now wished to say that he thoroughly commended the attitude taken up by the New Zealand Government. For years he had been urging on Mr. Massey the wisdom of preventing the trusts, from getting «» footing in New Zealand. As far back as T9OB he pressed this matter on Air. Alassey, and again in 1919 as Mr. Massey was setting out for England he (Air. Vavaaour) was one of a deputation representing the Sheepowners’ Union which waited on the Prime Alinister and asked him to go into this vital question. Mr. Alassey promised to look into the matter, and, he was glad to say, the result was the policy evidenced by the restrictions now being applied to Armour and Company. It .astonished him, said Air. Vavasour, that, having, obtained recognition from Air. Massey of the danger that would assuredly arise from uncontrol of the meat trusts, the farming community should be so crassly stupid ..as to sign the petition circulated on behalf of Armour and Company.