NEW MARKETS FOR FROZEN MEAT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2335, 28 January 1893, Page 2

NEW MARKETS FOR FROZEN MEAT.

The Wellington Post has an interestiog article which recalls to mind the rather celebrated " Arafura Sea " financial statement ot Sir Julius Vogel. Many will remember that, among other suggestions which were at that time regarded as poetical and fanciful, Sir Julius in 1884 or 1865, spoke with exuberant hopefulness of the prospects of the frozen meat trade among tbe islands of the Arafura §ea and in India. best part of a decade has Bines then passed over, and the matter has been almost forgotten, but the Wellington Post now relates that Nelson Bros., have engaged Professor Archibald, of phonograph fame, to take a trip to the Straits Settlements and India for tbe purpose of seeing whether there are any openings for an extension of tbe frozen meat trade in that direction. Mr. AjrobJ. bald is said to have considerable knowledge of those parts oi the world, and probably be wxmld not go unless be had some confidence i>f auopess-; and, on the |

other hand, tho Nelsons ace not men who indulge in the chimerical. So (bat primd facie there are good prospects. Bat the Post in its article gives certain reasons which eboald lead graziers to expect a successful result from the mission. Thus it is " assured that in India and tbe Straits Settlements really good tresh beet and mutton are scarcely procurable. Amongßt the European population of India, civil and military, tbe great staple in tbe meat line is the hermetically sealed tin. Preserved meat almost entirely supersedes fresh meat. The climate is not suitable to sheep life. The wool always displays a tendency to degenerate into hair, and tbe flesh undergoes a corresponding " gouty " deterioration. There is no greater luxury to a returned Anglo-Indian, when be gets back to England, than a good joint of Southdown or Welsh mutton. It is a luxury he cannot at present enjoy, even at v hill station, while he is serving in India. To tbe rank and file of tbe Indian army, freßb meat is almost unknown. There seems no reason why every mess in India should not be regularly supplied with wholesome and nutritious fresh meat from New Zealand at a less cost than that now paid for tinned provisions. The European popula* tion of India, civil and military, is very large, and if we could once introduce our meat to its favourable notice, our stookowners wonld soon reap substantial benefits. Of course there is no bope of inducing the Brahmin portion of tbe native population to become our customers in regard to meat. It is against their faith to eat animal food, but tbe Mahometan population do not Bhare this prejudice, and although they are not by habit large meateaters, they might, in time, perbape, be educated to tbe appreciation of tbe food we could supply them with. It may at first be objected that, io a climate like India, tbe difficulty of keeping the meat after arrival, and distributing it to consumers at distant inland stations, would be very great, if not absolueely impossible. We are assured, however, on good authority that this would not be so. Cool storehouses would, of oourse, have to be erected at Calcutta, but in regard to transit, the difficulties would be Blight. loe ia not a luxury, but the commonest every day article of ordinary use with all classes in India. Tbe railway system is very complete, and there are already m use upon its lines cool cars or chambers specially adapted for the conveyance of perishable goods at a moderate temperature. With a central depot at Calcutta, the New Zealand frozen meat could easily be distributed to almost all tbe military stations in Bengal in perfectly sound condition. Bombay and Madras would follow with their own arrangements in due course. The Straits Settlements should also afford a market worth opening and cultivating. Fresh meat in those places is a luxury, wbioh Australia and New Zealand should be easily able to reduce to an ordinary everyday article of diet. So also, to some extent, with Hong Kong and Chinese ports, where tbere is a European population. If once frozen meat became a recognised artiole of military consumption in India, Tommy Atkins would no doubt soon clamour for it on tbe mess tables in other parts oi the globe. To the troops serving in Egypt it would be as great a boon as to those in India, and possibly France might welcome it as an addition to tbe military cuisine in Algeria. India, however, ia the first country to be exploited, and if Mr. Archibald on his present expedition can capture this, enormous possibilities tor ail concerned in tbe frozen meat industry will be opened up. He will probably' reach London in March, an i then report the result of bis investigations to Messrs. Nelson."