SHIPPING AND MEAT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 7564, 7 May 1919, Page 3

SHIPPING AND MEAT.

The serious position shown by complaints from various parts of the country with regard to the congestion of frozen meat stores has been worrying the Government for some, time past. The store space' is wanteJ if the stock is not to back in coi-dition; the meat is wanted in the Home country, and while it is here it is an added source of atxiety to the authorities who have to see that the freezing companies are well supplied with coal to keep tbeir works in operation all the year round, in one case recently a big freezing works was left with only a few days supply of coal and had to go on its knees and beg for tuel to save the valuable food in store. Last week a cabje stated that Mr. Massey had obtained the promise of thirty steamers for April, May and June with a refrigerated capacity of 0, 000,000 feet. This was provisional, subject to reduction in. the event of quarantine, strikes or other causes of delay. This space would b-> sufficient to take away 3,000,000 freight carcases. But there were carcases in store on 31st| March and the quantity has probably been reduced only slightly since, as new meat would probably equal shipments during the month. Therefore, if all the shipping promised is obtained, there will still be 3,000,000 carcases to be disposed of before the i stores are clear for the new season. !Of course all the space promised j will not be available for meat, as I there there were on 14th April 48G,----000 crates of cheese also awaiting j shipment. The prospects of clear stores are not bright, but the position cannot be regarded as bad nevertheless. It must not be forgotten that the present"accumulation is not the product of a few months, but has come about gradually in four and a half years of war. It cannot be corrected in as many J months especially when there are J arrears to be caught up by shipping I i.: other directions.