THE WELLINGTON MEAT EXPORT COMPANY.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 4, 5 January 1900, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON MEAT EXPORT COMPANY.

SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. Commercial Wellington was strongly in evidence at the inauguration of the now fellmongery of the Wellington Meat Export Company, at Ngahauranga, yesterday afternoon. The premises and plant were described in our issue of last Saturday. There were approximately 200 persons present, including his Worship the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. G. W, Aitken), Hon. W. W. Johnston, Messrs. W. H. Beetham, H. Beauchamp, S. Brown, John Duncan, Arthur Pearce, E. W. Mills, W. H. Millward, D. T. Stuart, H. Baiter, C. M. Luke, J. M. Richardson, J. P. Maxwell, John Duthie, J. B. Harcourt, Orton Sbevens, W. C. Buchanan, Geo, Hutchison, M.H.R., W. Fraser, M.H.R., Martin Kennedy, T. G. M'Carthy, J. M'Kerrow, G. J. Smith (late M.H.R. for Christchuroh), Rev. H. Van Staveren, and Councillors Willeston, Barber, J. P. Luke, Winder, Townsend, and the Town Clerk (Mr. J. E. Page). Mr. Marshall was tho only director absent. Mr. Dilnofc Sladden, the general manager, was present, and entertained the guests before and after the luncheon. Apart from the toast of the Queen, the speeches were limited to two — that in which the -.uiyor proposed the toast of the "Wellington Meat Export Company," and the response by the Chairman of Directors (Mr. W. Booth) who presided over the gathering. The Mayor said That an easy start in life did not always result in success, though it sometimes happened that a start under hard conditions surmounted all difficulties and came out of the ordeal triumphant. That had been the case with the Wellington Meat Export Company. The success of the Company would in the future be even more marked than in the past, so long as it was in as capable hands as it was at the present. It would be recognised by sharehoulders and non-shareholders alike that the prosperity of the colony as a whole depended upon that and similar companies. Looking back upon the past 15 years he asked himself where the colony would have been to-day but for the frozen meat industry ; it would, he thought, have been bankrupt or something like it. The Chairman having acknowledged the toast and the compllmentry remarks of fche proposer, said the Company was inaugurated at Carterton on the 22nd June, 1881, at a meeting ,af settlers, of which he was the Chairman, and by the generous goodwill of his co-directors he ad the honour to preside at the present gathering to celebrate the substantial completion of what for 18 years the Company had had in view. About eighteen months after the Company was formed, they sent away a small shipment of meat by the Lady Jocelyn to be frozen on board, and eighteen months later they shipped away 24,900 frozen sheep. At that time the freight was 2^d per lb., and the charge for freezing id, so that 3d per lb had to be paid for what was now done for |d per lb. during the winter months, and for 1 l-10d during the summer months. During the year ended 30th Juno last, the Company sent out 322,100 sheep, 47,000 lambs, and 9352 cattlp. (Cheers.) The extent of the enterprise might be understood by the amount of expenditure for the year ended 30th June, 1899, which was as follows : — Purchase of stock (including wages to buyers, drovers, etc £222,190 Wages and salaries for conduct of business 31,867 Stores, etc 14,476 Freight on frozen meat ... 59,831 Railway freights 17,057 He quoted these figures not only as a contrast to the figures of some three or four years after the Company was farmed, but also to emphasise the great progress made, and to give some idek of the magnitude and importance of the industry. That day they celebrated the opening of substantial additions to and the completion of the establishment. Visitors would be able to form a fair opinion of the Company's works at Ngahauranga, and there were in addition the extensive premises on Waterlooquay. The killing capacity of the works waa 3000 sheep and 100 cattle per day, and the Company could freeze from day to day 2600 sheep. They had storage

room equal to 70,000 sheep, and v preserving plant capublc of turning out 3000 61b tins per duy, besides putting up all the sheep's tonguos. Visitors would find in one part oi the establishment a manure plant capable of deuhtig from day to day with all the refuse, bo that the work started in the morning was entirely cleaned away by night. (Cheers.) The gathering that day was more particularly to celebrate the completion of the fellmopgery, and b© might Bay the Company was able to deal with 3000 Bkins daily. There was a feature connected with the Company's business which he would impress upon the settlers who were present and those who were absent, and that was that the Company was and always had been open to entertain large or small applications for freezing on behalf of the settlers themselves. That Company had kept the route from the colomes to London as open as the Queen's highway. Any settler who wished* to deal with his own skins and wool (laughter) could do so through the Company. Every settler knew that but for the freezing industry the country would now be in Queer - street. The Company was now, as its balance-sheet showed, in a position of great stability and strength, and it was proposed in future to give at the end of the year a rebate to shippers in the form of a bonus. (Cheers.) The company then dispersed to inspect the works under the guidance of Mr. Slfidden, the General Manager, and his officers, and were highly gratified with what they saw.