CONTINENTAL MEAT MARKET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10254, 2 June 1911, Page 5

CONTINENTAL MEAT MARKET.

HON. T. MACKENZIE INTERVIEWED. A HOPEFUL OUTLOOK. (By Telegraph-—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. The prospects of Continental meat markets being thrown open to New Zealand producers were briefly discussed on Wednesday by the Hon. T. Mackenzie, in the course of an interview with a reporter. Mr Mackenzie said that he had received a good many communications on the subject, and he firmly believed it was only a matter of I time before the markets would be | opened to outside producers. "Speaking generally," Mr Mackenzie said, "the meat supply of the world is not increasing. In fact, it is diminishing. According to the latest stat--"istics I have had there are 2,400,000 fewer cattle. 8,000;000 fewer pigs, and. 21,000,000 fewer sheep. America is exporting only about half the beef arid sheep exported a few years ago. j On the other hand, the Argentine has increased its exports very**"considerably, replacing the diminished output from the United States. In France, Germany, Russia, and other Contin- j j ental countries the flocks and herds \ have gone down in numbers, and in order to supplement their meat supplies companies are buying horses, dogs and asses. In addition to that they are sterilising diseased meat and selling it to the working people. In Germany it is divided into three classes, (1) sound; (2) partly sound; and (3) diseased parts cut from the partly sound meat and sterilised at 212 degrees. They are actually sterilising parts which are cancerous or affected with tuberculosis, and selling them to people for likely that the working people of Germany will stand much longer being forced to eat such stuff. Austria admitted a good deal of meat from the Argentine; but after two shipments '■arrived'there was a secret treaty with Hungary which reouired Hungary's consent to the admission of imported meat, and the Act authorising importations was suspended. Progress is being made in Portugal, Italy and Switzerland, either by lessening the tariff or. as in the case of Portugal, taking the -tariff off altogether. Industrially the continent is now verv prosperous, as also is England, and that- is nlncing imre money in the hands of the wage-earners for the purchase of better food."