FROZEN MEAT IN LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 14529, 3 December 1910, Page 12

FROZEN MEAT IN LONDON

FAULTS THAT REQUIRE TO BE REMEDIED. COMMITTEE’S REPORT. PORT AUTHORITY SYMPATHETIC. [lTroit Our Special Correspondent.] LONDON, October 21. IV '•;?,» silling for New Zealand to-day I s M-u-ea. Mr W. Douglas Lyenar ;; , ■,Gisbomo) handed to me the rol. , ~i the 1 Committee of New Zealanders v have been investigating his proposals u l v improvement of tho system of dis-t.-.mgii,.; and distributing New Zealand f ■ . - i meat in London. “Tho matter is : in a. very satisfactory position,” caul 1.v.-nar. "Lord Dovonpcrt, the chairm. of ;lie Port of Loudon Authority, was vc.v sympathetic, and quite convinced that m a a-thing must be done to improve the handling’of frozen meat at the dorks. Tho IVit. Authority are going to look into tho matter, and the chairman hopes that it may be possible to provide another and more suitable duck for the discharge of New Zealand produce, and so mange, the present system ailrgelhcr.’’

’ The chief points of the Committee’s report are given below. They deal categorically with t’ho recommendations made bv Mr Lvsnar in the lengthy statement which 1 was enabled to send you a neck

or two ago. The Committee say in their report that they have investigated tho position as far as possible, and after consultation with the chief shipping companies, the Port authorities, tlic manager of Lloyd’s Lnderwriters Association, ami a host of other people m-_ tcrcsteJ in the carriage and distribution of

frozen produce in the Q!d Country, they have coni? to tho conclusion that tho position a.s g-nerully slated by Mr Lysnar has

been fairly put. The Committee find that upon (lie ques-

tlon cl foiling prcd ire in ships’ holds, it is 0:1 a!! hands a ImirleU that the present practice is bad, ami they .strongly approve of the t’tigz.'g.thrr. tin r rim Port of London Authority 'should In- requested to make each miprovem.ents to thc;r present cool storage at the lloy.il Victoria a.nd Albert Dock*—or sr-mo ct her site nearer Smithfields, if preSiLic—that New /lealand ships can discharge their frozen produce direct from,the hold by an elevator into a freezing store, where the produce could be sorted and stored c-ending ‘delivery to consignees or buyers. Such store they recommend should be provided with elevators to redeliver the prcdik’o into railway trucks, barges, or vans at points sufficiently clear of the ship's berth to prevent the unloading of the ship being interfered witli by redelivering operatives. As regards the diseinngy of cargo, the Committee recommend that in place of the present method discharge should he made by means of a travelling enclosed elevator Unis would allow the hold to be entirely covered, mid would enable discharge to continue'', no matter the weather. After watching the discharge of inuttort at the docks the Committee are strongly of opinion that a great deal of dim.-ge is

caused by earoascos bah ,- vent down e’uooU to i 11,.' wharf or to baige.s, and recommend that 11 1 use of shouts should be done away witi: wherever possible. As tegards tho foul condition of some of

the barges need in tho transport of meat from ships or doek stores to up-river stores, the Committee are quile convinced that Mr Lysnar was quite coma t in his statement that a large number of barges in us© are mot lit for carrying frozen produce. They also tord holly agree with him that the present methods of taking produce from the ship to bmithlield and up-town stores is most unsatisfactory. They give many striking instances of tho delays which occur in the transit of frozen produce from the docks to Smithiiold, and drive homo the fact that less than 25 per cent, of tho vans

used for tho carriage of frozen meat from the docks to Smithlield are insulated; the rest are merely vans and carts, some with hoods, others with no better covering fur meat than a loose tarpaulin. They also discovered a very similar state of affairs in connection with tho barge transit of frozen produce from ship to "up-town Mores. All these delays, the Committee aver, could bo abolished by the introduction of the system of discharging direct into a sorting shed, instead of the sorting being done in tho holds of the shirs, as now. And they have the adnn.vnon <4 men in charge of the unloading of ships carrying frozen produce that if' the suggested *svt tern were adopted they could unload slim In half tho time occupied at pr->en:, and with censi.loi.ibly less labor. In addition, there would Lo a great saving of the ships’ time in port, wiiieh would mean a further economy, and the moans of saving a large sum of money, which tho producer has at present to pay, if only indirectly. The system of carrying the meat on the. men'.? .si 10 a Idem to and from Southfield Market might well bo improved, sav the' Committee, and the handling would bo cheapened by running the meat along rails on roiling hcoks.

The I ivi-i railway siilinas under Smithfield M i!hot are .not used for meat from tim l.ond-..! ! lih kv a; all, although meat is i ail-.’ Ito SmitiilloM fo.-in Liverpool. If Victoria Doe!; is to remain as iho permanent dock for discharging New Zealand [O i arraiigenifiia; thouid he made >o have the me.it rai;, 1 from tlicre tr> Saiitiil:i Id, lint the Committee trust that dm <l»ek authorities will provide a more suitaide doc!; /or tho discharge of New Zea.land produce Ui:m ti;o Victoria Dock. UogurJiiig the siiuation of Smithfiehl Jlarlet, the Committee consider that every effort should be made to got tho SniuhlieK

authorities to have an adequate storage accommodation provided, iiiimedLtely above the market, the present stores at Sinilhtio.d being totally inadequate. As to the method of controlling the day-to-day values, tins requires more consideration than the Committee have been able to give to it. They suggest that some effort should be ina.de later to improve matters in tho future. WEST OF ENGLAND TORTS. Tho Committee have investigated tho facilities provided at West of England ports. To utilise Liverpool to best advantage it would bo necessary, they say, to a 1 range with the dock authorities to give New Zealand a whan to itself, and provide on i-ho upper storey adequate freezing accommodation for too produce, as they have done for Canada. Tho Liverpool dock authorities’ representatives beiievo it would no possible to arrange for New Zealand what Juan been arranged tor Canada, At the present time any New Zealand produce sent to Liverpool would have to bo carted across the road from tho docks into store—not a very satisfactory arrangement. As to preserving tho identity of tho New

Zealand produce after rt comes uuo the hands of the iclailers, the Committee suggCot that all the fret zing companies should adopt the system of the Canterbury h'rczen Meat Company, and have a leaden seal attached by wire to one of the logs of the carcass. This suggestion was made to the Conuiiil.Uo by Mr Gilbert Anderson. A large number of the leading linns in the Nl w Zealand irozon meat ■ trade were interviewed on the cubjcct of Mr Lysnar’s recommendations, and none of them took any special exception, to Un-in. Several additional suggestions were made by the iirms in question. Ah complained more or less of me largo number of small shipments and the great number of marks in each shipment. Some complained, also, f of a number of Mew Zealand ships being allowed to arrive about the same date, consequently flooding the resources of the bon in dLtributiug large shipments. Some of the Committee say they saw two boats fiom -few Zealand, of the same shipping line, being discharged at the same time in the one dock. Tho arrival of the steamms in London should be under some better system. * Objection is taken to tho practice of making allowances or deductions in London in°the buyer’s favor, such as deducting all odd ounces in each weighing.- This really represents a loss of about £1 16s per ton on New Zealand mutton sold through London, say the Committee. The practice has been largely discontinued in Manchester, and the exporters in New

Zealand should make a stand against it in London. It is an old-timo custom that should now bo slopped. Tho Committee suggest that “strong representations should bo made to the port authorities of London and tho Smithtield Market that their cold storage and berthing accommodation opposite any -such stores should not bo leased or sold to any person, firm, or company, unless it is done direct to a particular company, in order to localise that country’s produce as a whole, otherwise a monopoly would be created for a few to the detriment of the many.' 1 Strangely enough, tho Port of London Authority itself is not responsible for tho handling of tho frozen meat trade, save when tho shipments are landed over the quay and stored in its cold storage equipment. It docs not control the meat discharged into barges. The Committee have felt all along, however, that tho Port, of London Authority, brought into existence to rectify the very matters of which they complain, is the one most fit toil to grapple with tho provision of accommodation for a great and growing trade. They had a series of interviews with the officers of the Port Authority, and discussed the matter with tho chairman. T.ord Devonport. Tfe gave them a most attentive and sympa thotic hearing, and said that ho was convince-1 that the system of distributing frozen moat from the Port of London was unsatisfactory. ) main source of faulty handling was rhe passing of the meat over the ship's side in barges of private owners outside the control of the Port Authority. T-ord Devon port added that the chief engineer would bo instructed forthwith to submit plans and estimates for the erection of cold storage equipment of the most up-to-date character on an approved spot, in the Pert of London Auiboritv's docks, the most central and convenient for distribution over the metropolis and to inland points. ANOTHER DOCK WANTED.

Having had an opportunity o£ Inspecting most of tho London docks, the Committee Lave come to tho conclusion that the most suitable dock for the discharge of New Zealand produce would be. the South-west India Dock, which is connected fay rail with all parts of England, has an entrance depth of 29ft f which is presently to be made 51ft), as against 26ft at the Victoria Dock, and is within half an hour’s drive of Smithficid with a loaded van, as against two hours and a-hadf from Victoria Dock, where at present produce is discharged by Now Zealand boats.

The Committee make several recommendations for tho equipment of the South, west India Dock for tho efficient and economical handling of cargo, and they tiro of opinion that if tho recommendations aro carried into effect all tho difficulties and delays now occurring in tho discharge of produce will bo overcome. The shipping companies concerned aro quite willing to make the South-west India. Dock their port of discharge, providing proper provision for tho safe navigation of their vessels is made by the Port Authorities. Very extensive alterations and improvements will have to be made to the dock before the shipping companies involved will consent to use it, bit it is understood that the Port Authorities are quite prepared to make those improvements providing they aro assured that, so far as Now Zealand produce is concerned, ad van La go will bo taken of the up-to-date facilities tho Port Authorities may provide. There has been a good deal of correspondence between tho Committee, the Port Authorities, and the shipping companies concerning this matter. Among the points raised by"this correspondence is this one: Under the terms of the bill of lading with New Zealand shippers it would be necessary to get their approval. The point the Committee understand that tho Shaw, Savill and Albion Company make that by the suggested alterations the ship wonkf hand tho cargo over to the Port Authorities to sorb in their freezing store and redeliver to the shippers’ representative, instead of the ship Itself handing it over, as id present. The Committee cannot conceive that New Zealand producers will he likely to raise any difficulties under this head, nor do they think it unreasonable that tho Port Authorities should ask for some reasonable assniance. if they provide proper up-to-date facilities for the handling and sorting of New Zealand produce at certain docks, flint full advantage will 1 lie taken hv the New Zealand producers of those facilities.

Throughout their inquiry the Committee have found on all hands a sympatheti'hearing from all parties concerned, and from at! ouartcr.s have received assurance* of cheerfid co-operation in their endeavors to put matters in connection with the produce trade on a better footing. The Committee was composed of the following y.>ir Zealanders Messrs L. U. MTTnidv. If. IT. Wall. J. 0. Field. W. Douglas Lysnar, and U. F. Bccec.