The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, MAY 15, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3692, 15 May 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, MAY 15, 1883.

Following up Mr Birch's letter, thatwas i published a week or two ago, Mr C. CMurray, of the firm of Messrs Murray, Roberts and Co., wrote a letter stating that he would be happy to receive the names of those settlers who might be desirous of establishing the frozen "meat trade at this port. Since then Mr Murray has written to say that already several influential names i have boon handed to him in support of the iudustry, and he hopes soon to call a general" meeting of those interested. In ■ the meantime he has communicated with his partner, Mr Roberts, in Dunedin, who has furnished him with the following information :—" Freezing Company here ; charge ono halfpenny per lb for slaughterin"-, freezing, and delivering on board, returning to owners skin ancl inside fat, but retaining kidneys and tongues. All expenses in sale after leaving Port Chalmers, with freight at twopence farthing, comes to threepence one-seven th per lb." AVhat the difference will be between the charges at Dunedin aud those which would have to bo made here iv consideration of lighterage has yet to be found out. AVhat the difference'may prove to be in the risk between loading up a vessel with frozen meat alongside a railway wharf, and putting the same sort of cargo on board a vessel lying out iv a roadstead no doubt Mr Murray will be able to demonstrate at the time. There are one or two other matters of some moment to be taken into consideration, such as the means to be adopted to prevent the lowering of the temperature to which the carcases are subjected from tho time of leaving the wharf to arrival at the ship. The sheep, we imagine, will have to be frozen cm shore to 'prevent bruising in transhipment. Mr Birch suggested that bulks should be employed having refrigerating chambers below, and tho machinery on deck. This suggestion appears to us to be impracticable in tho present state of our bar harbor. The lighterage business is, however, ono of thoso details connected with the -trade which is very likely to be dismissed from the calculations, but which in reality is the only difficulty to be overcome. Undoubtedly it will add to the expense of shipment, and unless much care be taken tho risk of sending the moat home in marketable condition will be vastly increased. AVhen calling the settlers together to discuss the business Mr Murray will probably havo some scheme prepared whioh will combine the utmost efficiency with the least possible cost. Mr Roberts, in his communication to Mr Murray, states the freight; from Port Chalmers to bc-'jd per lb. AVouldno higher freight bo charged from here? We ask because we are under the impression that vessels carrying frozen meat make up their carn'o with grain. No vessel can be freighted alone with carcases of mutton; she must be ballasted with something heavier and less bulky. At the time of the year when it pays to export -frozen moat we have nothing to sendfrom hcrcbut a i'ewodd bales of scoured wool aud tallow. AA r e fancy that two, or at most three, vessels could take all the tallow left over from the wool season, so, we will say, three ships could obtain freight here in loading up with frozen meat. Each vessel, if ' of considerable tonnage, could be fitted with refrigerating chambers to hold from 5000 to GOOO carcases. AYe could thus dispose of, say, 18,000 sheep. AYe leave out of the question the idea of exporting our frozen meat via Auckland or AVellington. It Avould hardly be profitable to paythc extra freight to either port, at the same time unless this were done- our OAvn means of export would not keep a freezing company employed. The annual surplusof fat sheep in this provincial district may be roughly estimated at 70,000, a number that could be vastly increased if there -were uviiliable meaiiK ol? cli.spc..sj—g- c±' them iii the shape of frozen meat. In the twelve months ending April 30 last there were boiled down GG,BIO sheep, as follows : —By Messrs Nelson Bros., 15,500 ; Messrs ; Knowles and Co., 7-100: Mr R. P. AVilliams, ' 8510; at the Loan and Mercantile Agency's works, 5-100. The average value of these : sheep to the owners may-be put down at 12s 1 a-}iead cash, without the slightest risk. The " value of tho tallow produced in those twelve months was M9,SQQ, and of preserved meats . £10,088. It has been calculated that the - net returns from frozen meat, wjj.cn/ it reaches London in prime condition, is abouj; i £1 per sheep. The risk, however, is veiy i great, and few cargoes have escaped losses, i With tho undeniable difficulties and in- M

creased expenses to be contended with hero in the establishment of the trade, _ the question presents itself as to whether it is worth while to run the risk of loss to obtain but a small profit over and above that which can be absolutely secured by boiling down ? AYe have no desire to discourage enterprise, but we have all along held _to the opinion that until wo can load ships from tho wharf, and run the railway vans alongside the vessel, it will not pay us to enter into the trade. The failure of a cargo would give Hawke's Bay mutton a bad'name in the market, and by rushing into the business beforo we are ready spoil what otherwise would have been a profitable industry.

Mr C. Thomson, of Marsdcn, has been appointed inspector of sheep for the Gisborne sub-division of the Hawke's Bay sheep district, rice Mr Orwell transferred. The weekly meeting of the Clive Square Mutual Improvement Association will bo held to-night. The subject for discussion is " Are Trades Unions Beneficial." Friends arc invited to attend, and, judging from tbe popularity of the subject, there will be a capital debate. Our telegrams from Gisborne wore considerably "mixed" yesterday. Instead of the bore of the Pacific Company's petroleum works being down 274 feet, tho depth attained should have boon stated to be 120, and that at the depth of 74 feet, the rock being found sufficiently hard, the use of pipes was discontinued. Mr Edward Shaw has been elected for luangahua, clef eating Mr E. AA akefield by 46 votes. Mr Shaw was always a popular man throughout the district, and owes his election to the zeal of the numerous friends he made when Warden of Reef ton. The defeat of Mr AVakcfield shuts out from Parliament for another season one of the most promising men in the political world of the colony. AA r o understand that, at the adjourned special meeting of the Municipal Public AVorks Committee that sat at 7.30 o'clock yesterday evening, it was resolved to recommend the Council to engage the services of Mr James Stewart to inspect and report on the pumping machinery and boiler, and to invite Mr Rainc, the agent of Messrs McEwen and Co., to meet him. If tho Council should by chance consult the wishes of the ratepayers in this matter it will reject the recommendation ancl appoint a, committee to ascertain who was responsible for tho bungle that has added the waterworks extension to the list of Municipal white elephants. It is the ratepayers who suffer no matter who bungles, and the bungler is shielded by the ratepayers' responsibility.

A laughable incident occurred in tho Theatre Royal last night during tho performance of '' Jcamiic Deans.'' The counsel for the defence was eloquently addressing the jmy, wliich consisted of some half dozen "supers" ranging apparently from fourteen to seventeen years of age, and had reached that part of his speech where, with tho intention of touching the hearts of tho '' gentlemen in the box," he says, '' As you have children of your own," ifcc, when the gravity of the occasion was completely spoiled bj' the roars of laughter that emanated from some companions of tho " jury " who were located in the pit. The point was soon observed in other portions of the house, and the laugh became general.

Do you feel sleepy and languid on rising in the morning ? If you do your liver is out of order, and you should not fail to send at once to Professor Moore, of tho Medical Hall, AVaipawa., for a box of his famed Podophyllum pills. They will cure you at once, and impart a healthy tone to your whole constitution. The purity of the drugs kept at the AVaipawa Medical Hall cannot be surpassed anywhere.—[Advt.]

Tho most flattering tribute to the merits of AVolfe's Schnapps is to be found in tho fact that although repeatedly pirated and often imitated, nothing has ever been produced that even similates this matchless preparation.—[Advt.]