WIRING BUTTER BOXES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 188, 14 July 1925, Page 3

WIRING BUTTER BOXES.

ADVOCATED BY. SHIPPING SUPERINTENDENT. The ftuperintenueidt of the Royal Albert Docks, London, for the Shaw, Savili and Albion Company, is most emphatically of opinion that all New Zealand butter boxes sent Home should be wired. .The extra cost of wiring would be more than saved by the economy effected in using a box made with much Jigldor timber. The above information is contained in a letter from Mr A. Morton, president the National Dairy Association of New Zouland, who is at present 1 in London. “In order to get some information as to whether or not it was advisable to wire our butter boxes,” writes Mr Morton" to the secretary of the association in Wellington, *‘l made a visit to the Royal Albert Docks at a time when New Zealand produce was being discharged from one of the Shaw. Savili and Albion steamers. There was also remaining in the dock sheds a considerable quantity of butter and cheese which had arrived by earlier boats. The company’s superintendent stated that a considerable quantity of the butter arrived in the sheds with he boxes in a damaged condition, and I saw a gang of about ren or twelve men who were solely employed in repairing the boxes. This is done with great care, and every effort, is made lo see that the boxes are restored as far as possible to their original condition. A large supply of New Zealand white pine is kept on hand, for this work, but the expense to the shipping company must be considerable, and no doubt this is borne in mind in fixing the rate of freight. The producer pays for all this, and it- is worth while to consider whether this expense cannot be avoided. , The superintendent was most emphatic in j expressing his opinion that all boxes should be wired. The extra cost of wiring would i be more than saved by the economy effect- 1 ed in using a box made with much lighter timber. Quite a number of these light boxes are .seen in the sheds, and they arc said to be quite satisfactory.

“There is. however,” continues Mr Morton, “a method of wiring which 1 saw that is very much objected to in Tooley street, but at the time of .mv visit to the docks I had not seen it, and consequently was unable lo learn there whether they also found fault. This method,, is in respect to a ‘frame* box. and consists of three wires, apparently lixed by hand and secured by a large number of staples, the ends of the’ wires being twisted with pliers and very. often projecting from one-half to threequarters of an inch from the box. These boxes .are not only more difficult to handle, but sometimes result in the workers* hands being torn and cut by the projecting wire ends. Furthermore, a lot ot time is wasted in ojxming the box, and in re fastening it where that may be required to be done.

as is always the case in Tooley street. “The superintendent of the Shaw, Savili and Albion Company keeps a careful record of the figures regarding the repaired boxes, and I obtained these for three of this season’s boats. Thej’ speak for themselves, and are an eloquent testimony of the value of wiring. The figures given to me are as follow: .

“Tainui. —-Arrived January 26. 1925; total shipment. 67,754 boxes. Wired boxes, 4589; unwired, 63,165. Repairs: Wired boxes, 14 broken, or .30 per cent; unwired boxes, 3050 broken, or 4.82 per cent. “Mahana.—Arrived February 2. 1925; iota! shipment. 84,028 boxes. Wired boxes, 4750; unwired boxes, 79,278. Repairs: Wired boxes, 17 broken, or .36 per cent; unwired boxes, 5400 broken, or 6.81 per cent.

“Athcnic. —Arrived February 12, 1925; total shipment, 40,664 boxes. Wired boxes, 3159; un wired boxes, 37,505. Repairs: Wired boxes. 14 broken, or .44 per cent; nnwired boxes, 3338 broken, or 8.90 per cent.

“With regard to the extent of the damage done in llie ca.so of the broken boxes, this, of course, varies considerably.” eoneonchides Mr Morion. “Some of the boxes which t saw bad the whole of one side, together with the parchment, torn off, leaving the butler exposed and much damaged, and looking very unsightly. Although the parchment is replaced bv new sheets by the repairing gang, they cannot restore the contents of the box lo its original neat condition.”