The Gear Meat Company.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 67, 21 March 1890, Page 2

The Gear Meat Company.

A SATISFACTORY POSITION. Tbe direotorß of the Gear Meat Company met last evening', and accepted the tondor of Messrs Robert Carmichael & Sons for the erection of freezing works at Petono in accordance with plans and specifications prepared by Mr. Thos. Turnbull. The buildings are to bo in brick, and the works, which are expected to be ready for oommonoing operations about tbe end of October, will probably prove to be the most complete in the colony. The refrigerator will bo able to put through 1000 carcasses of sheep a day, and will hare the largest capacity of any freezing maohine yet bronght to the colony. It will be obtained from the well-known works of Haelam &, Co., Derby, and will disebarge 150,000 feofc of cold air every hour. The boilers are now being made at Sparrow & Co.'s foundry, at Dunodin, and will be ready within the contract time. The business carried on by the company is a most extensive one, and for the greater part of the year, if sot for the whole twelve months, carcasses will be frozen both at the new works (which are to possess a atorago capacity of 12,000) and on board the Jubilee. Owing to the dearth of pasture consequent en the lonjf spell of dry weathpr which has been experienced in the buironnding districts, the number of Bheep offered for sale has been very large, and the company have been taking advantage of this by putting through an many carcases as possible. Last month 28,000 sheep and lambs were slaughtered, being tho best month's work whioh has yet been recorded. The buildings in which the manufacture of manure is to be carried on are almost completed, and such (rood progress has botn made with the erection of the machinery, which was expressly imported, that the directors are in hopes operations will ba commenced in about three weeks from date. The operations of the company since thu last annual meeting have been, we are informed, of a successful character, and we are assured that the prospects for the year are very enuouf aging.