A NEW INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 539, 21 June 1909, Page 10

A NEW INDUSTRY.

THE HAWKE'S BAY MEAT CURING COMPANY. (Own Correspondent.) ■ Hastings, Juno 10. In, Hastings and the surrounding , districts there are hundreds of head of cattlo. for which a profitable market is sought. Freezing is popular, but even now there axe' people who have aii unreasonable'prejudice : against ■frozen moat. Tho. British soldier has been known to prefer tho American pickled product to a much superior articlo in the; way of frozen' meat. If, therefore,' the farmer has a second string to his bow sq much the better for tho farmer. This consideration, it is daimed, has led to the .introduction of a new industry in Now Zealand—cured, beef. ,The Americans, of course, until a few years ago, were tho chief suppliers of this articlo of diet. Tho British Board of Health has, -parbfy in view of tho disclosures made in America, issued strict regulations to the offeet that all imported beef must bo packed in such' a way that the authorities' can seo that the parts in each package are' all from ono beast, and aro tho parts of oxen. This, ■of course, effectually debars, any othor flesh being passed off as beef. ;• A, short time ago a proposal was mooted at Hastings to start a company and carry on tho business-of meat-enring, o-r "dry" pickling, especially in relation to beef .'.The idea' was taken up with enthusiasm, a company formed, shares rapidly taken up,-.-and now the Hawlte's Bay Meat Curing Company has started wol-k. . ■ '"

Briefly, the objects of the company'are as follow/ —To--purGha.se' prime beef and.oxen, Bell at the local abattoirs, com' arid- ; pack half-beast in each cask, and forwaird; to an agent in Bristol. With the half-beast 'will be packed the tongue, i tail, and cheek's: ,:. : At' Bristol the meat is to be unpacked' for Board of Health inspection, and then cut up into joints, etc.,'to suit the different markets. There will_ be a grade of'meat classed, special first quality for .wholesale provision, its factors .being as follow -) rumps, clmice .bits for household ■■ use,. packed- \iricases containing ,141b;, 281b., and 661b. There will be special navy grade casks to contain an entire half -of beast, guaranteed, in tierces about 4001b.; a prime .Indian cabin quality, in 2001b. barrels; and a prime Indian mess meat, in 3501b. barrels.. ;Tho fat is, to be treated in; a special manner, making it at once suitable for the oleo-business, thus enabling full value to be realised on this useful article. The tongue, cheeks, etc., will also bo corned. Runners, hair, horns, etc., will, be sold either locally or at Home. " Having ascertained, these facts, your Hast. Mgs representative was kindly.invited to the 1 works and saw, the complete process as:carried, on there. In the first'place, nonc'bii,t; : . absolutely the primest stock are selected. As tho cattle aro driven in from lonir distances they must stand for 24 bolirs before being killed. This enables them to cool down to their natural state. Thoy pass through dif- ■ ferent yards till the slaughterhouse. itself is reached, where they are dispatched in the usual way.: The Government''Veterinarian'is on the spot and makes an examination of all beasts. The carcass is then dressed and cut m half. These half sides arc taken into another room and. out ,b,v;export.hands'. into various joints,'a side .-is'a rule numbering , about 22 pieces. Dry salt is then nibbed into each joint, and they are then 'stacked for 48' hours for draining purposes. After ,this thev . are agam nibbed with.salt, and then,treated by a special process, which cbristiiufcs' the' ■ real_cun<ng. Another 48 hours is necessary for draining purposes, and tho meat is then ready tobb packed into tierces. The obiect is to always.got if possible, a.complote half-side into on© tierce or cask, so that when it is opened m England the half-sido can bo laid out complete on-tnctaMo and so satisfy tlho Board of Health authorities. Tho tierces nt present in use hold from 3Jcwt. to 4cwt., but with cattle weighing from 9001b. to 10001b., as was tho case when the visit was. made, the task is sometimes a hard one. The casks are M"i pleaded up and only await shipment. ■_ Tho company has only been working for a' fortmeht, so it can hardly be said to have started properly yet. Already, though, some 80 beasts havo been slaughtered. There dpo now - 20 in the. yards awaiting their faie, and some .50 more ready to be brought in from JUar-aekakaho. '.. -. \ ■". Over 100 tierces are ready for shipment now, and 50 more are only waiting to bo headed up. It is not intended, though to .ship any until about the'end of the month is oxp«-.ted some 300 tierces will be .' ready: -This'.will'really -be tho trial ship- : mont, and if, as is anticipated, it turns but a success, the industry'wiU'go ahead,'?' ■■.■':/ ' \ The.works at present are in'somo outbuildmgs at the side'of tho Hastings Municipal Abattoirs, the company;paying a.rent for tho use ot the samo. Tenders havo been invited tor the erection of a building 40ft. s 100 ft' to _start. witli, and they will close shortly! Ibis building will be connected 'with the abattoir with an overhead trolly, and various modern improvements are to bo made. .l!he. beef,itself,..it-.is claimed, is amongst tho finest produced in New Zealand, and if it reaches the English consumer in the way tho company expect they anticipate a great demand for it.' ' • : ' . ■■' , Another thing. that, has also' delayed the company has been tho casks, or tierces. These are made of kauri, and the local supply was totally inadequate, and the timbor had to be brought fronr Auckland. the bnsiness gets,settled the company of course will erect their own cooperage. Tenders are constantly being invited from Now-Zealand for large supplies of beef to the British Army, Navy, Indian Army, etc., and it is tho intention of tho promoters to mako a bid for some of these- contracts. '■.... lbe new idea is, of courso; something in the nature of an'experiment so far. If successful, it opens..-up field for the New Aaland : cattlo, breeder,; and if in'two years' time the company meets with success it is proposed to extend .its operations consider,aUy.';.' '■ ~.'•';■ ' . ~

An .item of iniportance also lies in the fact of cheap shipment. The casks can be taken either by caTgo/tramp'.vor mail boat.' There are no refngcriting chambers necessary 'at oitner end ot'the journe.v or'on shipboard. All Una* is needed is a small depot at Bristol to repack, to suit the various markets. . .-The 'company has t a capital of £7000, and includes such men on its directorate a* Messrs. E. J. Wfltt, G. P. DonneUy G N Pharazyn, E. D. D. M'Lean, etc. Mr J A'' Miller, of Hastings, has been appointed rnanl a S er and secretary to the new company/Mr J. A. Wilson, English manager, who has been on-a visit to Hastings making final arrangements, left by the Tainui on Thursday for Bristol, to be ready to open up the oranon ot the company.. ;.