LONDON FACILITIES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 20 December 1913, Page 10

LONDON FACILITIES.

With a view to obtaining nrst-haud information respecting the handling and marketing of New Zealand produce in London, Mr Harry de Lautour, of Gisborne, who has just returned from a visit to the Old Country, spent several weeks whilst in the metropolis, making himself acquainted with the -'ctual conditions. In regard to frozen ..ieat, Mr de Lautour informed a Poverty Bay Herald reporter that he had inspected the facilities and method of v/orkiag from the -time the carcases left the ship's hold to its disposal at' Smithfieid. He saw the meat in different stores, and the method of transport by insulated barges and vans. There is not a single van, he declares, that is not insulated, and there is not such a tliirg as an open van. j'ractically all the *ans were motor-driven, and in this respect the most striking feature of London was the great rapidity with which horses are being superseded by motor vehicles. The meat, he went on to say, goes to Smithfieid just as it comes out of the ship's hold at the docks. Mr de Lautour affirmed that the facilities right through were splendid. A point that was overlooked, he remarked was the fact that the greater part of the meat when it arrived was owned at the London end, arid it was only natural that they were looking after it. There was a comparatively small quantity shipped on owners' account, and he believed there was more from Gisborne than most of the New Zealand ports. As far as he could see the damage was very small, and no greater in proportion to that sustained at the loading end. It was quite true that a great. deal of New Zealand meat was sold as English, but as one retailer put it, they could not get the price they did for the article if they did not adopt that practice, and they could rot consequently afford to give the price they did. In fact, he was told the New Zealand article reached the shop in better order than the Home killed meat.