NEWS AND NOTES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14984, 3 June 1914, Page 3

NEWS AND NOTES.

PANAMA AXD MEAT TRADE

THE •'"HOT WATER ROUTE.'

(■rUOU OUi OlfS COEBESPOKDET.T.'i LONDON, April 24. Tho opening of the Panama Canal moans that New Zealand is brought nine hundred miles nearer Liverpool, as compared with the present routo round Cape Horn, but it is not likely that shipowners engaged in the moat trade will make any change Tho fact is. they prefer the colder water, which means greater protection far tho meat and cheaper working costs.

"The Times'- says a comparison of tho two routes is interesting. At present the ships traverse a long stretch of cold water from New Zealand to the Horn, still pass through cool water coming up tho Patagouian coast, and striko almost vertically across the equator. Thus the ships aro in hot water for only a few days. But a glance at a map will show that ships going from New Zealand to Panama would cross tho equator slantwise. They would bo passing through hot water so long that it would not be unfair to call the new routo from New Zealand the "Hot Water Routo." And the warmer the water tho longer the refrigerating machines have to work, and the greater the cost.

Tho frozen meat leaves New Zealand works as hard as a rock, but softens slightly during the process of handling at tho wharves. For, probably, two days after tlio ships are laden tho machines are kept hard at work driving out tho warmth. Onco that is done all that they havo to do is to prevent warmth leakiug in, and so tho greater tho- tomperaturo outside tho ship tho more work they havo to do. A second important point is that where ammonia for tho refrigerating process is used the gas has to be condensed, and tho higher tho temperature the higher tho pressure required. Higher pressure spells greater power—more steam, more coal, more expenditure. Tho engineer's log of any meat -"bin would plainly show this difference, "uid it is manifest in the log oia ship which recently arrived here from Monte Video. ' "When water for ■ condensing purposes was entering- the- ship at 84deg. F., the machines were working at 12, 13., and I<j hours per day; when water entered at HOdeg. they wero working for only 11} hours, and when it entered at 57dcg. it was necessary only to keep them' working for'nine hours. Tho contention of shipowners is that the higher cost of working the engines for tho longer period, the Canal duos, and'tho time spent.in traversing tho Canal, would more than swamp tbo saving in mileage.