THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1907. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8372, 5 March 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1907. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Messrs W. Weddel and Co., in their review of the frozen meat tracle for 1906, remark, inter alia, that the Board of Trade returns of imports and exports for 1906 indicate a condition of unequalled prosperity in the general trade of the United Kingdom; | but it cannot be said that similar prosperity attended the frozen meat trade. The increase 'in importations did not amount to more than 9 per cent, over the total for 1905 as contrasted with an increase of 13J per cent, in the previous year. Business was of a dragging nature throughout (except for a speculative spurt of shortsduration in November), and prices, on average, showed some reduction from those of the preceding twelve months. The total imports of colonial and foreign beef, mutton and lamb were valued at £17,449,213, of which £4,940,446 represented the imports from the colonies, £6,577,815 those from the Argentine Republic, and £5,930,952 the imports from foreign countries—chiefly the United States. North American shippers also sent £9,852,479 worth of live cattle and sheep. Frozen meat is now used by the Army, the Navy, hospitals and other public institutions, on board passenger steamships, > in co-operative stores, etc., and fully [maintains its position with the best retailers. The prosperity of the trade is, of course, founded upon the great consumptive demand of the working classes of 4 the country, with whom cheapness next to quality is the prime consideration; but the experiences of over a quarter of a century have sufficed to establish frozen meat as a middleclass household necessity- throughout the length and breadth of the land. A report recently issued by the Medical Officer of Health for the

Port of London, dealing with the seizure of diseased and damaged meat in the great markets of the metropolis, bears fresh testimony to the superiority of frozen meats (and especially New Zealand descriptions), in respect of freedom from disease, as compared with meat shipped from the United States, or the Continent of Europe, or drawn from British flocks and herds. Of the immense total of 415,296 tons passing through Smithfield market, the proportion of meat of all kind seized in 1905 on account of disease was only 168 tons or .04 per cent. Trifling as may be the proportion of diseased meat of all kinds condemned by the vigilant officials at Smithfield, it can be safely asserted that the healthiness of the animals shipped from Australia, New Zealand, and the River Plate to this country in the form of frozen meat is decidedly superior to that of home-killed or any i other description of meat sent to tjie various London markets, where the inspection is known to be amongst the most thorough., It is estimated that of the total Qonsumption|in the United Kingdom frozen meats now represent 17 per cent.; if chilled beef be added, the proportion rises to 26 per cent."; while, if imported live cattle and sheep are also included, it is 37 per cent. Ten years ago imported beef, mutton and lamb amounted to only about 32 per cent. hi the consumption. In the interval, Home supplies have remained almost stationary, and, had it not been for the unrestricted importation of colonial and foreign meats, consumers would undoubtedly have had to face'a very much higher range of values than that which they are called upon to pay.

"Make Australia white and keep it white" was Sir Joseph Ward s mes- j sage to Australia when' recently in that country on his way Home to attend the Conference of Colonial Premiers. Fortunately in New Zealand there is, practically, no work to be done in the direction of making it white, but it is more than important that the country should be kept white. There is no necessity for the Legislature to interfere in a hostile manner with the Chinese already in the country, and there would be no justification for such an act, for, although the great bulk of the people may be very much opposed to the presence of Chinese, the Government should remain faithful to their compact. However, though there is only one proper view for the Gbvernment to take in regard to the Chinese already admitted, it is certainly desirable that steps should be taken to ensure that in the course of time the Chinaman may become as extinct as the Moa in New Zealand. The Yellow Peril is a very real one in the case of Australia, and it must be admitted that New Zealand is involved to some extent. In connection with this question there is only one policy for Australasia —the Asiatic must be shut out and purity of race maintained at any cost.