EXTREMELY URGENT.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13939, 24 July 1917, Page 7

EXTREMELY URGENT.

». PROVISION or cool storage! IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS. . Important ..recommendations' regarding the cool storage jbf meat 'and dairy produce have been made to the Government ■ hy the fioard of Agriculture, which sat in Wellington recently. The board held a lengthy consultation in regard to the matter, and in conjunction .with Mr' Caddie, Director of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture,' went most exhaustively into the uqestion of the cooHtorage for butter and cheese at the various gazetted grading slores in the Dominion, ami the possibility of extending seme of

these places to provide accommodation'"; for larger quantities of dairy produce' ' should there bo a further diminution of Our/shipping facilities. The board also discussed the question with Dr. licakes, Director of the Live Stock Division of the Department of Agriculture, in relation to the storage of frozen meat, and the immediate and future prospects for shipping. As a result, of the'board's deliberation of these matters, it was decided to. convey to the Minister of Agriculture its recommendations in the matter, which arc as follows,'and to request that they receive the: Government's earnest ami immediate attention, as the subject was one of extreme urgency:—

. ' That the Government .should, if possible, try to secure for the carriage of butter, say, about G per cent, of the shipping space available; ami also to consider the practicability of ■.adopting some method of assisting Mine of the smaller dairy fanners should they need financial i.elp in Ik event of (heir being unable to ship their butter. The opiniou was also expressed that it is imperative that additional 'freezing stores be built as soon as possible in viciv of the probable shortage of ships, and that the Government should subsidise the building of these stores, if necessary, after - consulting with the freezing comobtaining from them their views as to the mo-t suiiable locality, and the best method of financing Ihe proposals; also that a portion of such extra storage should be made available for the storage of dairy produce. With regard to the cheese question, tin- hoard pointed out thai the New Zealand Government is in \ W n m hound to tee that all cheese is properly s.oinl :it a luiv lempcraliire/bolli for ',! Ie sake of'the British Government and for (he reputation of New Zealand cheese, and in support of iliis submitted the following facts:— 1. The outlook for shipping is abso-

lutely uncertain. 2. Without cool storage cheese will

not keep. 3. Cool storage for cheese can be erected at a cost amounting to, approximately, 5 per cent, of the value of the product,'and the storage fees paid by the. Imperial Government would recoup a large proportion of the cost. i. After the war this storage will probably be required in the ordinary course of trade, hut even if no: required for storage or for some other purpose —and of no .value afterwards, which is highly improbable—the expenditure would only mean an insurance policy of about 5 per cent', on the year's output of cheese.

5. In order lo expedite tin: dcspn'.eli of vessels so as to make the greatest possible life of them, a large central store in Wellington is urgently required.

The board therefore strongly recommends that, storage accommodation should be provided, which, with the storage now available, would amount to a .total of 600,000 crates, and that the Wellington Harbour Board liavin«offered to commence (he ercctio/i of a building for 60,000 crates, on condition that the Government subsidise the expenditure by £3250, this offer should be promptly accepted, so that s:orage may be available for the incoming season commencing in September. This matter the board regards as one of extreme urgency.