HANDLING OF FROZEN MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1620, 11 December 1912, Page 8

HANDLING OF FROZEN MEAT.

Sir,—The cable message which you published in your issue" or' December 5 dealing with certain ' petty and objectionable practices in .connection with 'frozen meat at Home, should lend to prompt and effective steps being taken'to end these practices, which ara to the producers unjust and to the consumer almost criminal. Is it to be wondered at that the prejudice' against frozen meat parsists, in view of the statement made in the House of Commons about it being left "for hours on the platforms of railway stations, where dogs roamed'-'? If.only a little wisdom .wore shown in the government. of the world, these things would not' long continue. Tho ignorance of. the British Board of Trade is perhaps excusable; but I fear no excuse can be offered for the Government of Now Zealand in this matter. Five years ago I made a report to the Dominion Government with regard 'to trade with British West Coast ports, and in that report I drew special attention to the objection.ibie methods employed at Liverpool and Glasgow in handling meat from this country.. (Avonino'uth and Manchester, 1 am happy to say, did not come into condemnation, as the buildings, appliances, and methods there are almost perfect.) My report not only fully described the careless and petty methods of handling at Liverpool and Glasgow, hut also suggested means for improving matters. Alas!. My report went tho waj- of all. others. It was .printed,. circulated, discussed by a few interested people, and then forgotten. The Government which had asked for tho report, and paid for it (at a very frugal rate), took no action whatever upon it.. Perhaps, if it had cost .£SOO instead of ~£sO, more notice would have .besn taken <of it. However, I do not complain, but I wish to emphasise what I then said about the shocking treatment received by our meat, after it had been. so. carefully picked, inspected, slaughtered, frozen, and handled with tender care in this country. I hope the present Government may be persuaded to look up my report and take some steps to help in securing better handling of the Dominion's frozen meat in. England. —I.am, etc., _ J. LIDDELL KELLY. Ashburton, December 6, 1912.