TRANSIT OF FROZEN MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 972, 12 November 1910, Page 8

TRANSIT OF FROZEN MEAT.

, , BAEGING TJP THE THAMES. . OFFICIAL EEPOItT ON ME. ; LYSNAR'S 'STATEMENTS. •.Lately we havo been hearing a good deal about the handling of our meat when t it reaches England. In Monday's issue .. appeared a. .cable concerning some allegations made by Dr. Chappie. Not ■ long ago Mr. Lyscar, of, Gisborne, made some . statements relating to the convoying of . the meat up the Thames River in barges. Acoording to information contained in . the October number of the "Journal of the Department of Agriculture," 'the High Commissioner instruoted Mr. A. . Crabb, M.K.C.V.S. (Veterinary Officer in London for . the Dominion) to report "on Mr. Lysnar's statements. J Mr. Cnabb, after dealing with the matter at length, says that from, his observa-. .tions during the last two years, and from conversations with the inspectors on the , Smjthfield market, he is, of the opinion that the barging of meat does not give rise to what could be termed excessive damage, and that when damage does occur it is mostly, due to delay. He thinks that Mr. Lysnar had viewed the condition of the barges rather too seriously, as hie inquiries have failed to reveal dam- . age to the meat due to the condition of the barges. ' ' "At the- present time," Mr. Crabb reports, "approximately 75 per cent, of the frozen meat sent from New Zealand, to London is conveyed to the stores by . means of river .transit in-barges, and, while'-this cannot be considered an ideal method, I think under the circumstances there is no option but to continue it. As some- of the largest buyers and'owners of our meat have established their stores . as near as possible to the Smithfield mar- ' kefc, the barges are a necessity. The uptown stores are convenient, as the ma."r T ket oan .be quickly supplied from them, ' which is not the case when meat is • stored at-the 'docks, from whence the I meat has to be carted in vans for about :

6even miles. . . .1 do not consider . that the deterioration arising during: upriver transit is sufficient to justify whoiet - sale condemnation of the system. I have frequently examined barges during load- . ir.j, and on several' occasions have been present at the discharge of barges at the cold-stores, but x I have not at any time - noticed ' any damage.'that could be directly . attributed to the actual barging. In only one instance was my attention Called to some carcasses which had suffered during, transit." . .To delay, and not to defective barges, Mr. Ci-abb attributes the damage which does occur. He gives as an instance a statement that- a barge with, 'a capacity , for 2000 caroasses.might have to wait ail day to be filled. I'elay, he says, is one of tuO' T worsts-features of the system. Barging of meat has been in existence almost since the beginning of the frozen meat trade, and Mr.. Crabb. states tliat conditions have arisen /which tend to control the handling and .to eliminate risk of . deterioration. "In the -.first place," he states, "all barges before . being used for, the_ carriage of frozen , meat must be examined and certified as suitable by a surveyor representing Lloyds and the other underwriters; this survey is repeated at intervals, and repairs and alterations have to be carried .out: according to the surveyor's instruc-. tions. This in itself is,. I. consider, a saieguard, as the underwriters, being financially interested;in the safe carriage ; of, i-the . meat, would presumably insist .'.he barges being suitable. 'The cold-storage companies, again, act as a check on the . condition of the barges, - ias they refuse delivery as sound of any meat which is damaged; and any damage caused by .defects in the barges oould easily- be traced." ;i '■■■.'As-an"argument; that barging is not in general .disapproval,. Mr. Crabb mentions tnat the insurance' companies charge exactly . the same premium whether meat ® up the river,'or .placed in the stores alongside the ship, and subsequent.iy car_f,j up to -town.. That barging does nor result in general deterioration he assumes from the reported fact that the lowest rate of premium is' charged to a firm whose' store' is furthest from' the . docks.

An important point referred to in the Tepori MS that soon as the meat is i over the chip's side the responsibility of the shipping company ceases, and the onus of looking after the meat is then on the owner or his agent. ■ the barges, Mr. Crabb says that_ the greater number of barges used m the carriage of meat on the Thames are constructed of wood, and are especially made for the carriage of meat. The hatches, and the sides down to the waterline, are insulated. Below the water-line the barge consists of a skin and a lining, and there are generally. .six or eight inches'between the two. The floor on which the meat is placed is usually called the'ceiling. It is six or eight inches from the bottom of the barge, and is constructed of wood two or three inches thick. Along the sides the ceiling is, as a matter of course, nearer the hull. "I find,' says Mr. Crabb, "that Mr. Lysnar . takes exception to the water being present the skin and the oeilmg, but from what. I can gather this would 6eem to; be quite a natural state of , affairs, and -is allowed for : by. leaving a Gpace between the two. It has lreen stated to me on all sides that it is impossible to get a woodei barge which .does ■net take in a little water,.'and it is considered that it is of no importance as long as it is confined to the place reserved for it." Mr. Crabb inquired into • .the advisability of using steel barges, for he. says that opinions differ as to the value of them. It is admitted that they would be drier, but some contend that insulation would be more difficult •Proceeding to deal with Mr. Lysnar'sstatements, Mr. Crabb says:—"l note that Mr. Lysnar makes no mention as to the condition of the meat when discharged from the barges, and, after all, this ,is of much more importance than the appearance of the barges; With the : exception of one barge which I have not yet traced, I made inquiries at the several cold stores, and in no case found that any damage had been noticed in the carcasses from. the barges mentioned , which could be ascribed to the condition of the barges themselves. (Mr. Crabb refers individually, to the barges named by Mr. Lysnar.) It would, therefore, ap-. pear that, even allowing the barges (o be .in .a faulty, condition, they had carried their meat all right." ' Mr. Crabb proposes from time to time to examine the barge* in use. in the carriage of our meat, and report to the Fifih Commissioner in the event of their causing damage. He also intends to .watch barges discharging in order to ascertain the condition of the meat on its arrival.