THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE OF THE SOUTH.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2764, 1 April 1890, Page 2

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE OF THE SOUTH.

Extraordinary Reduction of

Charges.

Mr Thus. Wklls, of Cambridge, has lately returned from a two months' stay in the South. He, of course, visited the Dunedin Exhibition, but the greater portion ot the time he Btayod with an intimate friend, Mr Jas. Smith, of Greenfield, ono of the largest farmers in Otago, the estate covering 24,000 acres. Knowing that Mr Wells is an observant individual, and one thoroughly competent to give an opinion as to the prosperity or otherwise of tho country through which he travelled, our reporter interviewed him last woek, and amongst a quantity of useful information— of which we will give a resume in a future issue—elicited the following somewhat startling facts regarding the frozen meat trade :—

Being asked if the farmers appeared to be thriving in the country through which he had passed, Mr Wells replied : "To speak generally, from Napier to Invercargill there is a more hopeful feoling in tho pastoral classes, who chiefly work the country, than there has been for some years pa«t. This is owing chietty to tho phase the frozen meat trade has assumed, and tho apparently permanent rise in the wool market. Wool this year may be said to have realised an advance of 25 per cent on last year's prices, while tho nett proceeds to the sheep farmer from his frozen mutton are bettered by nearly 100 per cent. This has boon brought about net so much by any rise in the price of frozen mutton in the British market as in the reduction of refrigerating, shipping, and insurance charges. With a few months' exception, during the past six years, which is principally since the inception of the industry, the British price has been about 4Jd per lb., but the charges under the old scale equalled about 3Jd of this, as I know of cases where the returns to the consignor have only been id per lb. Now, mark the changes that have been made in the South. The refrigerating charges have been reduced from Id per lb to 7-lGths, and this includes every charge between the delivery of the flock at the yards, to and including delivery of the carcase on board ship, and under this tariff the fat and skin remain the property of the consignor. I havo it upon good authority, that the Burnside Refrigerating Company are realising handsome profits and paying good dividends at that price. The shipping companies have reduced the freight charge from 2d to l£d ; and the insurance rate is now 70s per cent against 120« per cent formerly charged, and this amount gives absolute cover, so if the machinery breaks or any other accident happens the farmer is safe. Sheep in tho South aro now worth from 2d to 2j|d per lb clear, and the farmers have not the slightest difficulty in selling their bills of lading at that price; indeed there are always bankers and moneyed men on the laok out to buy them." Mr Wells further stated that, in hit opinion, before prosperity can come to the North, the farmers must follow the example of the South, and go in largely for sheep. He has not the slightest douWt that the lands in the Unper Thames Valley and Upper Waikato will give satisfactory returns when well stocked with .'heep. As a concluding remark, Mr Wells said his advice to the farmers of Waikato, after his having seen the large flocks down South, is " Go thou and do likewise."