REFRIGERATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 301, 14 September 1908, Page 7

REFRIGERATION.

. . fr v r.'. > r. "* v IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL CONGRESS, PAPERS TO BE READ. NEW ZEALAND INSPECTION SYSTEM. (BY IBrXGItArn—rEESS ASSOClATlDX—copibiget.) (Roc. September 13, -4;30 p;m.) ■' London,' September 1 12.' ' Thirty Governments will participate in the international congress 'on the question of refrigeration, which will open in Paris on Octobers. Six seotions .will .sit. Mr. Coghlan (Agen,t-G;oneral'for Now South Wales) will read ;ty.,.paper. on State encour-. agement given by R ,vjirious countries to tho refrigerating industry. Mr. Gilbert Anderson, New Zealand representative (formerly managing director of tho Christchurch Meat Company), will also read a paper oil New Zealand meat inspection from the international standpoint;. Jr. ( Lowfi, a ■ j paper, ,on artificial cold in the manufacture and preservation of butter; .Mr. Walter ..Preedy, on colonial produce capable ,of benefiting by refrigeration. , r . / \ Scientific papers will be read by S'ir William Ramsay (the'discoverer'-'of helium), by Mr. Samuel Rideal, D.Sc. (the well-known authority on chemistry,' !sanitary.,science, and food preservation), by Dr. Colliiigridge (Medical Officer of Health, City of Loudon), and by other authorities.---*'. , TO DISPEII PREJUDICE. AND TO ASSIST THE EXPERT. . Tho First International. Congress of: Freezing Industries, to be field in Paris in October next, will be a scientific convention of special interest to New Zealand. The main, sources of our national wealth" owe ' their ' present 1 unassailable position to artificial refrigeration; and while the principle plays such an important part in our rural economy, greater by far than in connection' ! "Ti'ith'"that' ! of-'any.'"btiier country, there is muelr-'we liave'-tb learn'-of refrigeration before we can make the best use of it. The great Paris conference will mark the commencement of scientific interest in tho subject which can Kav.e.,nothing..,but a result to our advantage. One important effect of the conference must be the education of European consumers in the use of frozen products when tariff , barriers will have given waj v "befofe' tho 'dc'matid'bf-'the , people for cheap and wholesome meat. At the present time dwellers on the Continent liava a prejudice against refrigerated "meat; 'in' the majority of cases they consider it unfit for human consumption. When ho was in Paris last year Mr. J. A. Gilruth, Chief Veterinarian, was informed..by one.:of the principals of a leading Parisian newspaper that lie was of the opinion a great deal of disease in England and America was due to the eating of perishable products which had been chilled .or frozen! It. is well-known" that products Icepf in a dry cold temperature liavo maintained their condition for a very long time after being defrosted, much longer, in fact, than fresh meat. But European consumers have yet to bo convinced of this fact. Ice chests, and such jike means of conserving meat, have been long in uso in Europe, and the low temperature thus obtained being a .nioist cold, .the food on removal keeps but for-a.'shorL'time. This has: prejudiced the Continental consumer against' the properly frozen article. That tho proposed conference is, however, not altogether disconnected- with- a.-desire-to introduce frozen meat into Europe is indicated by tho fact that there Js.a_.moYement. on. footto run international cool cars on Continental railways. These cars, as the above designation implies,' would be run through:'all countries to special cool stores. The scheme is comprehensive, and conveys some idea of what the proposal would mean to purveyors of frozen meat. ' "The purpose of the congress (writes the "Economist ) is to together leading- experts and representatives, from all countries; "of ° lbs principal industries in which refrigeration is ; used, and it is hoped to .develop, the 'industries of cold storage aud transportation the. Study and adoption. oft>m'6fc advaffitfel')%ietliodi. ifilu' appliances. It will thus help ,to extend ;(lie range and promote;the efficiency,of refrigeration as a factor in untertiational- commerce. Great Britain, Kussia .will' take . active parts in the 1 proceedings, and will be represented by commissions, 'mads-'up'of eminent specialists and Government'officials. The official languages of \tlie, congress will -be English, French, German, and Italian. The congress has the full support' arii. cooperation of. tho French Government, the honorary presidents being ex-President,v'Louboti-and'-Senator Freycinet." ■ In addition to Mr-."'Gilbert-AndeTson (representing tho 'New Zealand Government);- the congress will probably. ;; b 9 . attended by numerous ofhor "New " Zealaiiders. Captain A. W. Pearse, of the "Pastorlists Hoview, will,represent some of the New Zealand freezing cohipauies, : iind others of tlio fourteen Isow Zealand companies may be expeeled to have represe'ftt'atives'at"tlie meet-' lng. Mr. Gilbert Anderson's . appointment is criticised, both favourably and unfavourably. While some contend thaff ho "is insufficiently iii touch with the industry at -tlio -New- Zealand' end, others declare that he,has a wider knowledge of the industry- l than"any"bther,':m'iii that could have been appointed,-and 'that-lie"con-templates Now Zealand s producers: - Mr. ' Anderson, besides' his experience in, refrigeration, and-iu establishing the meat-gracing-systems-has taken, a prominent part in L comniercial and industrial