FREEZING INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15663, 17 July 1914, Page 9

FREEZING INDUSTRY.

SATISFACTORY EXPANSION.

INCREASE IN PRODUCE HANDLED.

The stc-idy expansion of the freezing in- '. dusky in the Province of Auckland is V clearly radicated by the returns of frozen -meat and other products handled by the - Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company. ■; The figures for the past seven years, ; ; ending June 30 in each case, are given for comparison in the table below. It , will be seen that the . operations of the company during the past 12 months in o; a frozen meat showed a substantial allo; round increase as compared with the pro- '' vious 12 months. This increase was especially marked in lambs and beef, the " - record number of 87,066 head and 10,830 ''-_■■ head respectively having been put through -'..the company's works in the year just ended, as compared with 81,194 head and [ " 5597 head respectively for 1912 to 1913, - e difference in favour of the later period . ; of 5872 lambs and 5291 cattle. The ex- . cess in sheep and calves, frozen by the company in 1913-1914, as compared with the previous 12 months, was 2162 and 2173 respectively. The following are the detailed returns for seven years of stock slaughtered and ';::■■ frozen:— ■ Lambs. Sheep- Calves. Cattle. 1907-08 ... 50,803 1,271 - 4,607 180809 ... 87,471 7,400 — 2,505 1909-10 ... 60 073 8.234 — 8.904 1910-11 ... 60.117 lid - 1,831 1911-12 ... 58,095 6,601 — 858 1912-13 ... 81,191 22,600 950 5,597 , ; 1913-14 ... 87,066 24,671 3,123 10,638 .. - ; A very largo increase in the amount of . Ibutter passing through the company's . ; ; ■works in the past 12 months, as com- ■ pared with the previous year, has also • '"to-be recorded. In 1913-1914 the number : > ; of boxes handled was 455,000, as against >•■ 388,687 in 1912-1913. an increased for the "'l2 months ended June 30 last of 66,313 - :'■ hoses. Cheese also showed a substantial ..increase, the amount through the freezer ."■;'■ in 1913-1914 being 18,522 orates, as com- .; pared with 14,638 crates in the previous &'K months, an increase of 3884 crates. -■/ The ex-tensive scheme of additions and lalterations to plant and buildings under-.-i taken by the company to cope with the : ;:-•,: growing demands of the trade are well •>" - r ,Jn hand. At the Southdown works the .Eew boiler-house has been erected, and -, /i, two new boilers have arrived and been .-"placed in position. The new freezing- ,. -', *ooms and the store-room are nearing com- '■'.„' pletion. The pipes for the new freezing works are all on the ground, and a large >i''- : ~ K an ?. of men is engaged in welding and bending them preparatory to erecting them v , to the freezing battery. All the machinery .' necessary has been ordered and the bulk '/ w it is on the way out. There should , - ' he no difficulty, it is compered, in completing the work at the estimated date, - November 1 next. The addition of a tourth storey to the company's building at tho King's Wharf is in the course of ;- ■ • completion. The roof has been raisod and , „; m extra floor, J3oft by 99ft, has been put I • «*. The bricklayers are expected to finish ' In a week, and the whole work will prob-' '.'■'' *P»y ; be completed by the end of this month. By that time the installation of WiMTt*** chilling-rooms should be .well ' **<ser way.. The total expenditure en' -V-S*-Spnthdowa «ad Auckland works it ■ .;' awjOOOi, '• - life'".