Value of Meat Freezing Works

Evening Star, Issue 8116, 16 January 1890, Page 2

Value of Meat Freezing Works

Spmo idea of the value of meat preserving businesses may be gathered from the remarks which fell from the lips of Mr Nicholas Reid (chairman of the Gear Meat Company) at the annual meeting of that company. He stated as an item of interest to the shareholders that during the year the company had slaughtered close on 200,000 animals, tinned over 900,0001bs of meat, made over 1,300 tons of tallow, fellmongered over 156,000 pelts, and nearly 1,700 bales of wool. In the district drawn upon by the company the increase of sheep during 1888-89 .was 214,000 head, and the company were now about to commence extensive additions to their premises to enable them to cope with the requirements of the rapidly increasing trade. Besides the freezing and storing works to be erected near the new slaughter-house at Petone, in which there would be a refrigerator capable of freezing 1,000 carcasoss per diem, they were going to add a new-branch of the trade to their business vis., artificial manure works. The shareholders were probably not aware that the blood of fully 200,000 animals at present runs annually from their works into the sea on Petone Beach. This of itself was not only very offensive, and they must not offend their neighbors, but it was also a great waste of a very valuable product. In order to convert this and tons of other by-products into a marketable article they were erecting the manure works, and the directors were sanguine that, when completed, they would .not only be a successful undertaking, but would confer a boon upon the inhabitants of Petone, as all the offensive matter would be removed to the seventy-six acres of land owned by the company near the pipe bridge, situated between the Hutt Park Racecourse and Petone. When the new works are finished, as they are expected to be in about ten months, they hope-to be in possession of the only complete business of its kind in the colony.

The fortpigljtly meeting of the Loyal Hand and Heart Lodge, M : U.1.0.0.F., was held in their hall, Stuart street, on Thursday evening N.G. Bio. F. Douglas presiding. One new member was initiated. P. 6. Bro. J. F. F Hamel was presented by G.M. Bro. T. Mant (on behalf of the lodge) with a framed emblematic certificate, as a market appreciation of the able manner in which he had served the lodge during his term of office. The balance? sheet: and auditor* report, which were adopted, showed the lodge to he in a very flourishing state, The total receipts for the half.year amount to L1,05018s 3d and the expenditure to L 752 13s 9d, thus giving an advance for the sitting of L 298 4a fid. The sick pay for the past term amounted to L 193 4s, slightly less than the sum paid for the previous sitting. During the half-year thirty-three members were initiated and two joined by clearance, br nging the membership up to 456. N.G. Knowles, Loyal Albion Lodge, and P.P.G.M. Deacon, Loyal Dunedin Lodge, replied to the second toast; P.P.G.M. Miller and Black to the third toast. The receipts were L 27 11a Bd. The annual general meeting of the New Zealand Rifle Association will be held at the range on Friday at 2 p.m.