NEW FREEZING WORKS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28620, 24 June 1958, Page 20

NEW FREEZING WORKS

Stone Laid At Lorneville

(New Zeaiana Press Association i INVERCARGILL. June 23.

"These new freezing works were born during my term as Minister of Agriculture and they were born to be a very fractious, squalling and difficult baby.’’ said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holyoake) in his address at the ceremony in which the Prime Minister (Mr Nash) laid the foundation stone of the Alliance Freezing Company (Southland) works at Lorneville today "It was a question at one time whether the baby would live.” said Mr Holyoake. “It had every illness of childhood and had every illness you could think of

“At one time we thought we might have to put a tombstone above the child,, but it survived." he said. ‘ The baby grew into a dusty child and a sturdy youth and very soon it will be doing a man’s job.’’ The chairman of directors of the Alliance Company (Mr H. P Mclntyre) presided and recalled the agitation over 15 years.

Others present were the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Skinner) and Mrs Skinner, and the three Southland members of Parliament. Messrs J. R Hanan 'lnvercargill). G. G. Grieve (Awarua) and B E Taiboys (Wallace). First For 43 Years Mr A B Baker, representing the New Zealand Meat Board, noted that the works, the first to be built in New Zealand for 43 years, aimed to provide killing for 1 000.000 head of stock a year and 200 head of cattle a day Before Mr Nash performed the ceremonv he was presented with an inscribed silver trowel by Mt W. G Morrison, of Wellington consulting structural engineer for the works. e “Until a person had been in Southland he cannot imagine what Southland can produce. Mr Nash said “There is no <We*op’ ment going on in New Zealand to compare with the new Bluu harbour and fertiliser and free? ing works in Southland After visiting the harboui works he had looked into th, figures and found that of the estimated cost of £3.576.000 t c sum of £2 200.000 had already been raised and 98 per cent o it had been raised tn Southland he said. “I don’t think you wil find anything comparable an. where in New Zealand.