OUR FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 22, 27 January 1891, Page 4

OUR FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

THE QEAB MEAT COMPANY'S NEW FREEZING WOEKS. Amongst all Wellington's commercial on. torprises there aro none moro prosperous, and probably few in wbioh tho general public take moro pride, than its two largo meat exporting companies, 'f ho interest in them oxtonda fur beyond tho comparatively limitod oiroloa who are bo fortunato as to bo pecuniarily oonoornod in suoh dividend-paying Tontnrea ; fordoos not tLo frozon moat trade form tho baokbono of our outward commerce? And does it not also furnish the market for the livo stock that peoples the largo runs in the back country of our provinoial distriot, and provide labour for hnndrods of mon in and about tho oity ? Of the two oompanios, the Gear Moat Preserving and Freezing Company comes into more direct oontaot with the oitizens on aocount of its share in tho retail meat trade ; and while itß aharoholdors havo reason to rejoioe in the regular recurrence of substantial dmdonds, the outside consumers also benefit by the excellent inanagotnont_ of its business through the superior quality of tho meat generally vonded in tho oity. Slaughterhouses are not oxaotly the places that would bo oboaon by a sight-seer as the pleasantest of rotraats, but oven the most squeamish person need not fear having his sensibilities sliockod by a viaifc to the company's works at Potone. Tho business of killing is there reduced as near as is possible to a fine art. Tbe repulsive sights that one naturally associates with the shambles are certainly not to bo found there. On the contrary, all the work is carried out with the utmost oleanliness, and when operations are over each day there is little indeed left to tell the tale of the lothal business that has boen carried on for the previous few hours. This is largely due to the thoroughness with whioh tho oompany, has set itself to work to utilise every atom of the animals slaughtered. Indeed, the Gear Company's financial snooess can bo traoed in a very large degree to its system of manufaoturing by-products from all parts of the oaroase over and above those required for food. It was humorously remarked by Dr. Newman, M.H.K., at the last mooting of shareholders, that whoreas in the celebrated Chicago hog-curing establishment it was claimed that everything was used for trado purposes except the pig's squeal, the Gear Company oould claim evon agreater measure of perfeotneßs. The sheep, he continuod, was not in the habit of bloating when receiving the executioner's knife, so that the oompany could not bo charged with wasting that portion of the animal, whereas everything else about it was turned to some purpose or other. To put tho stagos of the company's businoBß in proper sequence it should bo stated that tho stook dealt with aro selected from all tho finest runs in the Wellington distriot, as well as from those on the East Coast as int north ns Hawko'B Bay, and those on the Wost Coast as distant as Taranaki. Five buyers are continually travelling in tbo country districts, snapping up all tho choicest available shoop and oat. tie, which aro then brought in by road and rail to tho Potone works, ready to be delivered over to the butchers hands. The slaughteringhouse is a large two-story building of wood and galvanised iron, and on both floors the work of converting live animals into marketable meat goes on from day to day. The beasts are in the first plaoe yarded in roomy pens oontignouß to the building. Thence they are readily drafted to the places where the last soene of their lives is enacted. Giving first place to those whioh are in the majority, we shall begin by dealing with the Bbeep, of whioh an average of about 2000 oau be slaughtered daily. From the open-air onoloanres they are driven into either tho pens or the ground floor of the slaughterhouse, handy to the butuhers, or through an inclined "race," if bound for the upper floor — whioh ii in all respeots the counterpart of the lower one. When the moment of their doom has arrived, they are brought ou.t upon a wooden "grating" floor, where the executioner passes the knife across their throats. Within a very short space from the time when the woolly-coated creature was brought struggling out of the pens, its skinless and well-oleaned oaroase is suspended in the hanging-room, which is sitnated between the shambles and the new freezing chambers. All blood passes through tho openings in the wooden ''false" flooring, and ia conoentrated in a large drain formed in the concrete of tho real floor. Along this drain it runs to a large tank in the middle of tho slaughterhouse, whioh at the close of the day, or oftener if need be, is hoisted up, placed upon a truck, and wheeled away to a special section of the works, where it U converted into manure All offal, skins, &0., have also their special destinations. At one end of the slaughterhouse— that furthest from the freezing works— is tho section where the larger oattle are brought to griof . An ox is driven from the yard into a Bpace onolosad within gates, and before he quite takes in the situation is "pithed" by the slaughterman from stagings overhead. The "baulks" to whioh the oaroases are oonoonaigned after the butoher has done with them will hang about 80 head of oattle at a time. Those intended for freezing purposes are to be convoyed hence to the new cham-ber»-by neanß of overhead travelling gear, without passing into the open air at all. As already hinted, tbe moat striking feature about all those parts of the works is the oleanliness that everywhere prevails. An abundant supply of water bronght in from the artesian wells is the means by which this end is attained, and it is at all times uaed without stint. The ventilation, too, is all that could be wished for, and so the meat would be kept freeh and sweet even if it had to remain on hand longer than is ordinarily the case. All the slaughtering and moßt other work connected with the butcher ing department is done under systems of contract. The meat being onoe prepared for tho market, two possible destinations ate open to it— ono portion is Bet asido for the consumption of the inhabitants of Wellington and Petone, and the other goes to the freezing chambers to be prepared for export. Heretofore, and even at the present moment, all the freezing is done on board the company's hnlk Jubilee, whioh remains alongside the wharf near the works while receiving its supplies, and is towed across the harbour for transhipment of meat to the Home traders. The limited aooommodation thus provided has lately, however, proved inauffioient for tbe company's expanding trade. To supplement the Jubilee's freezing oapaoity, therefore, an extensive refrigerating works has just been erected, and only awaits the completion of the boilers to enable it to be set in operation. Ihe bnilding is of briok, in two stories, with walls 18 inobes thick, and is connected with the hanging-rooms on both floors of the slaughtering department by a wooden passage 7^ feet in width. To the passage on the lower floor, also, the beef is to he brought by means of the travelling gear already referred to. The mutton is brought from tho hanging rooms, on trollies with hooka attaohed to them, for all the world like portable butchers' raoks, eaoh trolly holding 16 sheep. These I trollies will be rolled along the passage to tho briok building, from the corridors from whioh the freezing obamberß open. There are three main ohamberß on eaoh floor, eaoh measuring 20ft by 40ft, as well as one smaller compartment for the freezing of game and poultry, or for the manufaoture of ice. About 500 sheep can be hung in eaoh chamber, and here the oaroases are to be kept until thoroughly frozen. Abutting upon the freezing plaoes, and at the opposite Bide to that at whioh the oaroases enter, aro four storage chambers, two on either floor, eaoh 30 feet by 45 feet, and eaoh capable of reoeiving about 3000 sheep. In common with the freezing ohamberß, these are completely insulated with about ten inohes of oharcoal, and have linings of woodwork. The temperature of the store-rooms will be maintained at about 14 or 16 deg. Fah. That will also be somewhere about the average temperature of the freezing ohambers, but the aotual temperature here must of neoessity vary oonsiderably. On their being oharged with » fresh supply of carcases, hot from the Blaughter-house, it will mount up to a pretty high register, but as the frost does its work the temperature will gradually fall until over the whole freezing space it will not average more than 9deg. Mutton usually remains abont three days in the freezing chamber ; beof about a week. It is intended to use tho lower story strictly for beef and the upper for mutton, this arrangement adapting itself most readily to the proposed system of transportation. When a shipment is required, the meat will simply be conveyed outside the doors of the storage chambers to a concrete platform, along tho Bide of which runs the tram-lino to the wharf. It can be loaded into truoks, wheeled away to the wharf, and placed on board tbe Jnbiloe without moro than ten minutos' loss of timo. The garret above the upper tier of tho freezing and cool ohambers is divided off into compartments for the storage of the cotton bags in whioh the frozen carcases are packed. These are marked with the names of olients— those who have sheep frozen on their own aoeount, and sent Home through the oompany— and are classified accordingly. The stoke-hole is the only portion of the whole works whioh is not already in working order. The delay in its oomplotion has been due to dimoulty experienced by the contractors for the construction of the boilers — Sparrow and Co., of Dunedin— in procuring the requisite material. The boilerhouse as a whole is a lofty and well-lighted place, 66ft by 44ft, and with a oonorete floor. Spaoe is allowed for four boilers— so as to provide for future extensions of the works— but for the present only two are required. These are now being built into position, and are of the mnltitubular type, built from designs by Mr. W. Lodder, the company's obief engineer, as a kind of compromise between the Lancashire and marine classes of boilers. Eaoh is 15ft long, with B|ft insido diameter, and has been tested np to a pressure of 1201b to the square inoh. The arrangements will be st)oh that coal can. be dumped down from the truoks directly opposite the fire- boxes. Next comes the most important feature— the refrigerating plant. It consists of one of Haslam'B freezing machines, capable of discharging into the ohambers 150,000 oubio feet of oold air per hour. Besting upon a Bolid conorete blook, whioh weighs no less than 140 tons, the maohinery itself oooupies a spaoe of 35ft by 10ft, and weighs 75 tons. The engine is on the compound prinoiple, and it and the freezing maohine are in duplioate, so that if an accident should occur to one half, that portion can be disoonneoted, and operations be carried on with the othe> section. It is estimated that the temperature in the discharge-trunk of the freezer will average 90 deg. Fah. below zero, though when the air is soattered over the wider space of the refrigerating ohambers it naturally rises. Duplicate fittings are provided for all the vital parts of the machinery, and arc-co kept that they can readily be used in oaee the necessity arises. Ample space is resorved in the engine room for another maohine of equal oapaoity. All parts of the works— freezing ohamberß, slaughterhouses, and speoial departments •like, and even the Petone retail shop —are lighted by eleotrioity, the installation having been carried oat by the Giiloher Company. The motor is a 10horse power engine, manufactured by Meatra. Cable and Co., and the dynamo ia capable of

lighting 275 lamp* of 16 oandl«-power. The lights of all departments arecontrolled from a switoh-board in the engine-room. Tho small engine also turns a lathe for use in repairing tho maohinery. Another important meohanical feature is a Worthington pump, lately imported from Amerioa, and fitted up in the engine room, to form part of a fiie-service system now boing provided for. The water flows from two 6-inoh artesian wells into a resorvoir, whence tho big engino will suck it up for its own use. On being discharged by the p.ngino, it will bo conducted iuto another well, where tho Worthiugton pump will get possession of it, and force it into tho servioepipes for fire extinguishing purposes, and for the washing down of the works. Tenders for laying the pipos, of which the mains will be Gin in diameter, are to bo called for in the course of a fow days. Stress has already been laid upon tho important factor in the Gear Company's operations represented by the manufacture of by-products. Onr Bpace will only permit a somewhat brief summary of what these comprise. All sheep skins are conveyed by tramway from the slaughterhouse to the fellmongery department, which is in a detached building. After being treated with "dollies" driven by machinery, the moisture is extraoted from them, and they are hung in sweating-rooms until bronght to a fit condition to havo tho wool pulled off. Once detached, the wool is dried, and packod for tho Knglish markot. Tho peltß are sent to a spoeial shed, whoro they are prepared for being Bont Home in piokle for the manufacture of kid, and for bookbinding and other purposes. , „,..,, An ovorhsad tramway carries all fat to tno tallow houso. Here it is treated in huge digesters ; and when in a liquid oondition tho puro fat is blown off by means of steam pressure, and the tissues and other refuse remain in the pans, to be sent away to tho manure works for use there. Suoh sheep as are considered too -wellfavoured for freezing purposes— and it is a oompaot and meaty sheep that best suite that branch of trade— are consigned to tho preserving department, the bone being previously removed. All the tins, Ac, required for packing the preserved meat are made on the premises. The same department deals similarly with all the beef and mutton not Bold at the company's retail shops. Herein Hgb part of the seoret of the good quality of all the meat sold. There is no need to keep any until it becomes Btalo, for tho preserving section does trado enough to absorb eaoh day's surplus Btook and allow fresh meat from the slaughterhouse to bo sent in its stead for the publio use. At some diatanoe from the main works — any regular visitor to the Hutt Kacecouree knows the spot well -is situated the department for the manufacture of manures. Thither all blood, heads, and trottora are takon. Neat's foot oil is extracted from tho trotters, of whioh tbe more solid parts then oome in for rednction to manure. The blood is separately dried by moans of special plant, from which it emerges as a powder not unlike chicory in appearance. Altogether four kinds of manure are turned out—bonedust, turnip mannre (a speoial composition), superphosphate of lime, and pure dry blood. A separate department in tho same vicinity deals with the intestines, converting them into sausage oasinga, and making certain parts fit to be sent Home for manufacture into violin strings and the gut which is nsed on tennis rackets. Gear's Island, batwoen the two branches of the Hutt River, comprising about 100 aores, is the company's breeding ground for pigs, and there are generally between 1500 and 1600 head of the unolean animals upon it. There it was that tho prize-takers at the last Agricultural and Pastoral Show were reared. The oompany has alio extensive grazing grounds on the island. Messrs. Carmiohael and Sons were tbe contractors for the building for the new freezing works, whioh were ereoted in accordance with the designs and under the superintendence of Mr. Thos. Turnbull, architect. The maohinery was purchased from the celebrated Haslam firm, its patentees, but was ereoted by Mr. Lodder, ohief engineer to the company. Altogether the company is an important employer of labour. Between the Petone works and its retail shops there are abont 320 men in its pay. An industry of suoh great proportions oan only be successfully carried on with the most caroful direction. On this point results speak for themselves, and the enterprise Bhowu by the directors for the last few years merits the rich reward whioh they and tho shareholders are now reaping That it may long continue our readers will, we are sure, join us in heartily wishing.