THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1526, 15 April 1882, Page 4

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE

Tjik advices leceivcd fiom England during the past month as to the 1 csult of the latest Austialian shipments of meat, although not altogether so satisfactory as could be wished, are nc\ crtheless of a reassuring character, and have done much towards strengthening the confidence of New Zealand agiieultinists in the ultimate success of the tiade in the future. The cargo which realised the best all round price was that ex s.s. Europa. This was delivei ed in excellent condition, and its sale was managed on the plan which we have several times advocated in these columns. The London correspondent of the Melbourne Aye informs the readers of that paper that instead of the meat being sold for what it would fetch in the public m.irket — where doubtless it would be to the interest of many of the principal buyeis to combine to keep the price as low as possible— it was disposed of by agents at local depots, the piofits of the wholesale salesman being thus shared between the importer and the consumer The all round pi ice was from 6<l to 7d per lb, which would leave an excellent maigin of profit. There was no difficulty in getting the retail butchers to sell it : on the contrary, hundreds of applications had to be refused owing to supplies miming out. The importance of this intelligence is very great. It goes far to prove what we stated last month, that Australian meat had not, up to this shipment, had a really fair trial in the London market, and it shows in a marked manner that when proper precautions are taken to shield it from adverse influences, &c, and test it by its own meiits, the result is not likely to be disappointing. The s.s. Cuzco's cargo was not delivered in A 1 condition, and consequently fetched a lower price. The latest arrival to date is the s.s. Protos. We are told abont this that though the meat was in bad condition owing to accidents to the machinery, it realised 54d per lb— not by any means a bad pi ice. It it fetched this price in bad condition, what— it may very well be asked — would it have brought had it arrived in good condition? We are quite piepared to hear the retort that the "if" is the difficulty. If the meat cannot be depended to arrive in a marketable state, the failure of the new industry is sure, because the piofit is so narrow that it leaves no margin for uncertainty or risk. But our opinion has always been — and we are glad to see it Bhared by some of the best judges in the colony— that experience in ihe best mode of shipment and the improvements in the refrigerating machinery are bound, within a short time, to reduce to a minimum the risk of a bad delivery. For this reason we do not agree with those who think the Wellington and Canterbury Companies would have acted more wisely in delaying the purchase of machinery until the reports from Home were more favourable.

Women's Rites. — Man iayo ceiemonies. Ax exchange h^us an aiticle headed, •Get Hold of the Hoy's Noart' That will do well enough if it is « gill you aie advising, but we had rather get hold of a "boy's collar with one hind and his pistol pocket with the other. You can reason with a boy move that way.