Frozen Meat Trade.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3750, 6 April 1908, Page 2

Frozen Meat Trade.

The cry of Europe today is for : cheap meat. The masses on the ! Continent must either become hippo- ; phatgists, horseflesh eaters, or vegetarians. It is declared that all efforts j of the police in Germany to subdue the ; unlawful use of horseflesh are un- ! successful. More than 13,000 horses were killed in Berlin in 1906, and only 10 per cent came on to the market direct as horseflesh. Nearly 100,000 head of horses are now killed annually in Germany. In France the extent of horseflesh consumption is even greater, for in Paris no less than 56,000 horses were consumed in 1906, and the “cripples” of Britain are meeting an excellent market in French towns. Of course the European consumer does not eat horseflesh from choice; it is because locally produced beef, mutton and pork are too dear for his pocket. Were frozen meats available to him he would heartily welcome the opportunity. France is already weakening in her remarkable policy of excluding cheap meat supplies, and Germany cannot long continue her opposition to the importation of frozen meat. When European tariff barriers will have all been broken down and the continental consumer is given an opportunity of obtaining a cheap rational meat supply the opportunity for expanding the frozen meat trade will be remarkable, but it will not be for the producers of this country. Argentina and Canada, which has already arranged a reciprocal tariff with France will doubtless enjoy favoured treatment. Australasia, by reason of preferential treatment of British goods, and the United States, with its high tariffs, will naturally be excluded from the trade.

Reciprocity is a in its I way, but it cuts two ways. We may ' have the satisfaction of knowing that i if France and Germany become large i customers of our rivals in the meat | business we will be left with a large | share of British trade, but our comI petitors will have two strings to their ; bows while we will only have one. It may not be out of place to sug- ! gest that as our sister Dominion has arranged an intermediate tariff with Fiance—now a good friend of Britain that this country might follow this example and agree on a reciprocal tariff whereby France could admit our meat and New Zealand could take her cheap wines under a favoured tariff. Certainly the time is ripe for such undertaking, for if the forthcoming freezing conference has no other effect it must break down local prejudice against frozen meat and awaken the public men of France to the desirability of opening the ports of the country to products which their own fanners are unable to supply.