THE MEAT-FREEZING SCHEME.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 128, 6 July 1881, Page 4

THE MEAT-FREEZING SCHEME.

A public meeting was held in the Town Hall, Bulls, last week, for the purpose of appointing a provisional committee to obtain information and generally act in concert with the Wairarapa committee in connection with the proposed formation of a meatfreezing company. The attendance was large, nearly all parts of Eangitikei and Manawatu being represented. Mr. CL. Maclean was voted to the chair.

Mr. Stevens, cattle salesman, said he did not purpose detaining the meeting very, long with any particular details or varied knowledge; the object . of the meeting was to appoint a committee to obtain that knowledge, but he would, nevertheless, lay before them a few facts. In Australia they had despatched three ships to London with cargoes of frozen meat — viz., the Strathleven, Orient, and Protos. Several of the London nobility purchased the meat and took the trouble to send joints to their numerous acquaintances, all of whom were unanimous in their opinion that it was first-class mutton. They would, therefore, not be wrong in following in the footsteps of their Australian brethren. In Dunedin it was proposed to form a meat-freezing company with a capital of £20,000 in £5 shares ; but they in this district could not be expected to embark in such a large undertaking. Many of the Dunedin sheep - farmers singly produced more sheep than the Eangitikei district altogether; but that should not deter them from trying to get rid of their own surplus stock. The prospectus of the Dunedin company set forth pretty clearly the necessity of doing something in the rigbt direction for getting rid of their surplus stock. They were living in a country with hundreds of thousands of acres of bush land undeveloped, they knew for a certainty that two acres would fatten a beast, and if, through the agency of a meatfreezing company, a fair price could be obtained for it, the value of the land would be greatly increased. Several settlers in the district had advised him that Beparate freezing establishments should be built at Wairarapa, Wanganui, and Bangitikei, but he was convinced that none of the places mentioned would be suitable. The only way to establish a company to work profitably was to lave the depot in Wellington, near the tea, where the meat could be taken from the refrigerating chamber and run down in a truck to the vessel'! side without any loss of time. Moreover, unless the aepdt was established at Wellington, they would not have the unanimous support of all the settlers in the Wellington Provincial District, and without that unanimity the undertaking would be no good. He would read to them an estimate of the costs of the Orange Meat-freezing and Slaughtering Company, which would Bhow the probable enhanced value they might expect for their stock. The company was formed for slaughtering cattle for the graziers, and not purchasing on their own account ; in that point it would differ from their proposed company. Orange was 192 miles from Sydney; therefore their .cost of transit would be greater than it would be for them to send to Wellington. The estimate shewed : —

XZFENSIB

Of slaughtering, conveying from Orange to London, and selling 1000 sheep, averaging 661b each dressed. Slaughtering, freezing, loading, trainage to Sydney, wharfage, and conveyance from railway station to steamer, a consolidated rate of id. perlb £111 13 0

Canvas in which to wrap mutton ... ... a. 22 0 0 Freight to London at 2Jd. per .lb 583 16 9 Insurance, F.P.A 10 5 O Commission on sale and storage in London, approximate 70 0 0 Expenses on sheepskins and tongttei to Sydney 3 13 0 Balance to stand as cost of sheep 791 2 3 £1592 10 0 PROCEEDS Of 1000 sheep sold in London. Proceeds of 66,0001b5. mutton at6d. perlb £1400 0 0 60001bs. fat sold at Orange at lid. perlb. » 37 10 0 1000 sheepskins at 3s. each 160 0 0 1000 tongues salted 5 0 0.

.£1592 10 0 Or a net return of 15s. 9}d. per sheep delivered at the Orange Company's Works. Mr. Stevens said he had before mentioned that the object of the Orange Company was to slaughter stock on behalf of the owners only; but a company formed for that purpose in thin (Wellington) district would be a failure. The difference was that where from one station in New South Wales they might get 100,000 sheep, in this district it would be difficult to get 5000. It would be necessary to employ a practical manager, and he should have the power to purchase stock on behalf of the company to make up any deficiencies that might arise in quantity of freight. It was proposed that delegates should go from there to Wellington, their object to be, as far as he knew, to obtain all information on the subject. A committee had been formed in Wellington, on which were some members of tho House of fiepresentatives, and from facts and information obtained, they were unanimously of opinion that the frozen meat proiect would be a great success in the future. It might be said that they had not suf-

ficient stock to export ; but they must see what their supplies now was, and Bhould an outlet be found for it, he knew that, the surplus could be increased fourfold. If they could get for their beef £1 per lOOlbs., it would certainly pay them, and they would always have a market. Now, the only market they had was in Wellington, and they depended upon the few butchers there to take all their increase. The supply in the colony had now become so great that it was imperative that some outlet should be provided for it, and the meat-freezing project was the most feasible one. It was said when boiling-down establishments were started that they would use up the surplus. They to a certain extent did so, but not to the best advantage. He hoped that instead of boiling down good mutton, they would find a better market for it in the future, where it would secure higher prices. In the matter of the value of the shares in the proposed company, it had been suggested to him that they should be of the same value as the Dunedin company's, but he did not agree with that. The holders in the Wellington district were small in comparison to those in the South Island, and they would not be able to contribute so much. Therefore he would be for making the shares as small as possible, so that they could be within the reach of everyone, and more interest would be thereby taken in the company. Another matter mentioned to him that if any one put £100 into the company, and it would not pay to export meat, as prices got to good in those markets, that the £100 would be lost. He held that the £100 would be amply recouped to him by the increased price of beef which prevented his exporting. (Hear, hear,) At the Carterton meeting a resolution had been passed in favor of sending one shipment of frozen meat from Wellington as an experiment. He should propose that the delegates, when elected telegraph their willingness to meet the Wairarapa delegates in Wellington, and strongly advise them to form a company instead of sending home a trial shipment. The former would be the most inexpensive plan, as the expense of sending one shipment only would be nearly sufficient to send several, were a company formed. He would urge upon them to do something that would be a substantial benefit for the future. He knew there were drawbacks, one of which was driving the stock overland to Wellington. But that would be obviated when they got the West Coast railway opened, and, for the present, the difficulty could be overcome by a little energy. Another matter he had not trenched upon was that of preliminary expenses. In undertakings of this kind it was always necessary some few pounds should be subscribed, and if the delegates were elected it could not be expected they should give their time and then have to defray their own expenses. To meet that expense subscription lists had been prepared, which would be passed round. He presumed that the delegates would, on their return from Wellington, report to another meeting what action they had taken. He would move, " That, in the opinion of this meeting, it is desirable to take steps to form a company for the purpose of exporting frozen meat and dairy produce from Wellington to England, and for that purpose a provisional committee be elected to act in concert with the committee already appointed for this purpose in Wairarapa, such provisional committee to consist of Sir W. Fox, Messrs. Eichard Hammond, John McKelvie, W. J. Willis, D. Fraser, E. Gorton, D. McKenzie, J. G. Wilson, A. Dick, A. Milne, W. B. Eetemeyer, W. J. Marshall, J. Stevens, J. T. Dalrymple, L. Eichards, H. L. Sherwill, P. H. Lynch, A. Simpson, C. Cameron, B. K. Simpson, H. Hammond, F. Bobinson, -jun., W. Mills, J. Bull, C Bull, F. Larkworthy, J. McLennan, J. Sly, E. Linton, 1 W. Fergusson, J. Saxon, H. P. Jones, A. McDonald, D. Scott, F. Eichards, H. Sanson, W. Taylor, E. Hammond, jun., J. Mcßetn, J. Kilgour, A. McDonell, A. P. Douglas, J. W. Gower, F. Bryee, A. Bell, and E. Wilson ; five of whom shall form a quorum." Mr. W. Hammond seconded the motion, which was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr. J. G.Wilson, it was resolved, " Tnat Sir W. Fox, Messrs. J. Bull, Donald Fraser, J. Stevens, and H. L. Sherwill, be appointed delegates to act in Wellington in conjunction with delegates from other places, to assist in forming the proposed company." Subscription lists were then opened, and £23 13s. was subscribed in the room ; several gentlemen professing their willingness to subscribe more if it was required.