FROZEN PRODUCE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17633, 9 December 1922, Page 12

FROZEN PRODUCE.

BEITISH COLD STORAGE AND ICE ASSOCIATION. (SKOM OV& OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, October 19. There was something of a festive nature about the autumn dinner of the British Cold Storage and Ico Association, held at the Hotel Cecil tins week. It marked the amalgamation of the Cold Storage Ice Association with a younger organisation, the National Cold ritorers' Association, and the president, Mr George Goodsir, alluded to the event as a happy marriage. Sir James Allen and Sir Joseph Cook were both present as members of xne Association, and Mr J. S. Je**p the Meat Producers' Board) had the task of responding to the toast of the visitors, {speakers were numerous and in some cases not over serious and an excellent programme of music helped to make the function a very pleasant one. The president's toast was, ino -Umpire and Refrigerated Commerce. _ It was the first time, he said, they had met under the name of British Cold .Storago and lco Association. there had been something in the nature of a, wedding in the family. The two parties had always had a great regard for each other though the younger one had been somewhat coy. 'lo Mr J- Raymond, the secretary, was largely uue the successful alliance, and to him also was due the arrangements for the International Refrigeration Conference, which was to be held m Loudon in 1924 Sir Joseph Cook, who replied to the toast, illustrated the development of refrigeration by stating that in Australia alone nearly seven millions sterling had been invested in the industry. In 1903 the value of the exports from Australia was £492,200; eleven years later «it was three and a-half millions,. In 1920 there was a record shipment of 246 million pounds' weight,- of a value of 5i millions sterling, and the United Kingdom took 93* per cent, of the total quantity exported. They had one object in view—to send all their surplus produce to Great Britain, and to take her produce in return. He was one of those who thought there was better business inside the Empire today than anywhere outside it. Now the meat which the Government took possession of and held on to so long had disappeared. He believed the markets wero fairly free once more, and the outlook was "bright". Scientific Research. "Much as I am tempted to accept the invitation of Sir Joseph Cook," said Sir James Allen "to dilate upon the excellence of Canterbury lamb, I do not propose to accept the iiwitation. But whether it be Canterbury lamb, New Zealand mutton, New Zealand butter or New Zealand apples, or any other products that may come to you through the agency of cold storage, we are out to compete with Australia or with any other country to your advantage and we hope to ours. Nor am I going .to say anything to you about thei movement taking place in my own country to further the interests of the great mas 3 of the producers whose prosperity means also so much to you. The toast you have committed to my charge is: 'The Cold Storage and Ice Industry.' May I not rightly claim that these industries are basic "industries? It is a large claim to make, but it, can be safely made on behalf of New Zealand and Australia, because our development in the near future and for a considerable time to come depends upon the produce we can secure from the soil. Our mutton, our lamb, our beef, butter, and > apples—unless we can get them away from Neiw Zealand, the industries must wane. May I not also claim they are basic to you ? Looking back over the past eight years and even further back, I think one is safe in saying that no industry could have thrived, or perhaps continued in existence! had it not been for the refrigerated ship."

.What hadmlrcady taken place in the development of cold storage, continued Sir James, was almost miraculous. They .were extremely interested in its development in the Dominion. Its further improvement would compel the producer in New Zealand and in other countries to examine carefully his own products in order that they would carry more successfully and be ever more acceptable to the people of Great Britain, and in order that they might be delivered here in a condition to compete successfully with the produce from other parts of the world and with the produce of England itself. Then there was fho need for more direct scientific investigation. He was glad to find some of the University professors talcing a great interest in this extremely important matter. He knew of no field of investigation which was more promising than research in the problems which were continually cropping up with regard to cold storage, and awaited solution. Professor C. Frewen Jenkin appealed to the trade to take a greater interest in refrigeration research work. ' They needed laboratories and further financial assistance, and the Association could do a great work in helping on this scientific investigation. Mr Charles Page, who proposed the toast of tho ."Visitors," said in the course of his speech: "Mr Jessep is hero, and he will no doubt tell us something about the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board. I believe that the Government is connected with the enterprise, and I can only hope that it will be as successful as our Government in dealing with meat. Our Government made three millions of money one year, and they lost it the next." The Meat Producers' Board. After paying a compliment to the hospitality of the people of the Homeland, Mr Jessep referred to the last speaker's facetious statement. He * would like to call attention to the name of the New Zealand organisation—"the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board." The Government did not produce any meat. The Board had a Royal Charter, and they hoped to use their rights in a way which would be financially beneficial to this new great industry, and also to the producers. He was quite well aware.that the freezing business would suffer from Government interference, just as the cold storage business would on this side of the world. He would like them to remember that with the New Zealand refrigerating industry was bound up the prosperity or otherwise of <fce whole community. In this country . there were many industries; New Zealand had practically only one. That was the position. The New Zealand Board hoped that their energies would result in reforms that no individual firms could possibly carry out themselves. Each firm was interested in its own individual success. The only common ground was in getting the produce forward in tho best possible condition at the least possible expense, and landing it here with the least deterioration. That could only be brought about by co-ordination. Mr Jessep then referred to the development of cold storage. The Old Country, he said, could never have reached the height it had reached amongst the communities of the world without refrigeration. It was exceedingly interesting to hear what was being done in the matter of research. They were all looking for further improvements in connexion with refrigeration, and he had no doubt that the great Association, of which they had j the privilege of being the guests, would i help in every way to further that reI search and to bring about still further | improvements in connexion with the I carriage of our frozen products. ..