HANDLING OF FROZEN MEAT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 100, 10 April 1911, Page 11

HANDLING OF FROZEN MEAT.

The following discussion took place after Mr. Lysnar had given his address on the above subject at Masterton on Thursday afternoon last: — Mr. Foster. Managing Director, Meat Export Company, said that Mr. Lysnar’s object and that of the majority of the companies was the improvement of the trade. After going into the matter he had come to the conclusion that there was bad handling, which could be improved. While he could not endorse the full measure of Mr. Lysnar ’s statement as to the damage done, he nevertheless was convinced that much damage did take place. A number of meat companies in the North Island who had no representatives at Home had taken the matter up and had now almost appointed a representative. He thought this man would be able to work side by side with the representative appointed by Mr. Lysnar’s committee. He would not be sorry to find that they did set up a committee as suggested. With regard to the docks, there was no doubt that matters were not as good as they might be, but they had to bear in mind that the London investor was hardly likely to spend a great deal of money on new docks without getting a return for it. As to the methods of handling at this ehd. the speaker did not agree with Mr. Lysnar that boxes should be used. Their experience had been that the placing of carcases in boxes tended to bruise them. Then there was the matter of chutes. . His company, he might state, was in favour of chutes, and insisted upon their use. They should not, however, be steep, but should have an easy slope and a mattress at the bottom. As for regular shipments, he did not know how they were going to provide for them. Freezing works had certain recognised storage capacities, and if they were going to regulate their shipments the storage capacity in New Zealand. { he should think, would have to be ■ doubled. Then there was another • matter; if they were going to hold ' shipments back, whose sheep would i they hold and who was going to take the responsibility of doing so? Alluding to the question of J grading, be stated he was afraid i that Mr. Lysnar did not know i what grading meant, as they had two men constantly employed in t that direction. He questioned [ whether Government grading would be a good thing, and doubt-f ed if it could be carried out on' similar lines to those adopted fori the grading of butter. He wished to make it quite clear that they were not in any way opposed to! the efforts of Mr. Lysnar or of any i Committee that might be set up. MR. BUCHANAN, M.P. Mr. Buchanan, M.P., asked where they could find a man in the Stock Department at the present! time who could take off his coat I

and do the grading for the Government as suggested. The matter introduced by Mr. Lysnar was no new one. The speaker had interested himsed in it as far back as 1892. He could endorse all Mr. Lysnar*s remarks in regard to the bad handling of meat, but it had to be remembered that the producer sold his meat, and consequently it passed out of his control. If the producer owned the meat when it arrived in London, he would have the right to protest, but otherwise he came as a suppliant. Mr. Lysnar, in reply, stated that he welcomed the action of Mr. Foster and Mr. Buchanan in coming to the meeting and expressing their opinions as they had. Be replied at some length to the statements made by Messrs. Foster and Buchanan, after which a number of lantern slides ucre shown, illustrative of the mcthjd of handling our meat in London. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Lysnar for his address terminated the meeting.—Daily Times.