NEW ZEALAND MEAT AT HOME.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 236, 29 June 1908, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND MEAT AT HOME.

HOW IT IS HANDLED. ' One of the prime' objects with which Messrs. Rcakcs and Crabb, of tlio Agricultural Department, are now in England, is to sc-e how Nov.- Zealand meat is handled at' English ports. ' In a- private letter, which has just been received in Wellington, a gentleman, who is interested in the same matter describes how ho saw "New Zealand meat discharged from tho Thorp'o Grange at ■Liver- , pool after a recent trip. He writes :—: '•* "Tho moat is taken from the top layers'of the bulk, and put in canvas slings, some 30 carcases at 'a time,' and they are hoisted on to the wharf by' tho side of 'the- ship,' not under cover of any description. From these slings,' some seven or eight-men take a carcase, look at. the number, throw it on their "shoulders, and take-it to one \f . the-riino lorries, .which- is taking the particular, num-ber-to-the cold stores, or railway shed,-and - stack -it'. on the same. Or if they -get a ' ca'rcaso'for which, : thero.is no lorry they put : -'it back iri'tho shed and wait until they find a placo for it, .or return,it to tho ship! This is al'v'efy'primitive l, wayT'V There were nine lorries in the shed taking carcases, and'two lorries taking box meats. This is a very large , . shed with a-lot of glass in the roof, and in tho .summer time must be hot like' a ■ grcen.house, and all, meat' passin'g through this shed must get soft, and lose its''.bloom. These lorries take an hour or morO to lead, and the carriers, knowing this, and not wishing to loso the men's and tho horses' time by waiting, the horses are.taken out, whilst loading, to do other work. Wo felt some of the carcases on a lorry, and "found them beginning to get: soft, although there was no sun ; und the day ' was comparatively, cold. In , this shed. were heaps of, bulk wheat, which ' at the' time was ■ being, sacked and taken away, which . caused a. quantity of dust to fly-about, which would help.to deteriorate .itho appearanco of the meat-wraps, and, perhaps, the meat." This arrangement seems to bo in strong contrast with tlio excellent accommodation for loading and unloading meat .at tho Ship Canal, Manchester. , The Liverpool Dock Trust, however, have decided to spend threo and'a quarter millions on enlarging and improving the docks at Liverpool at once.