RETENTION OF KIDNEYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18293, 9 January 1923, Page 8

RETENTION OF KIDNEYS

, ORDER BY MEAT. BOARD. CRITICISM IN CANTERBURY. !;-.-:■;> V'&: : --^:'\^<--:] , -^S€: f --^ .- :-.:>V:;, ; "--y';-K;:-'i '■ -.'-- :'-'.V : ;" ■ ■'■:-. : '-- : ' .•;. ■' '.■^■ ; : -■■' - - . ; '-'v.':-V : • .'■" ;■■•:;■..■ ; FAT LAMB; TRADE PREJUDICED. [BY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] - '' CHEISTCKURCH. Monday. ■ Sir "George .Clifford, •' chairman, of directors: of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, in a letter to the newspapers, says ; that- the. Canterbury Frozen Meat Company is protesting against the- compulsory retention of kidneys ,in frozenlambs on the ground that the instruction of the New Zealand Meat Producers'. Board to that effect will be, if carried out, seriously to the detriment of the producer, the exporter, and the freezing companies.' It is contrary to; the advice of nearly' all ; those who ; are interested in. the trade, whether in the Dominion or in Britain, and has been, insisted -upon by the board without due consideration of the .'■! problems involved in so sudden a change of practice. ■'■-'< ..■"■ The'- strongest reason for continuing the present custom of the trade is that thi3 departure from it has been proposed, and is apparently "being enforced, without "proper consideration of the ■ adverse .opinions so : strongly expressed by most of . those'vintimately- conversant with the requirements of our British customers, as well as those who are imost deeply interested in its prosperity. It is, therefore, urged that the Meat Producers' Board should pause before compelling alterations which are more than -dubious and which. we consider even perilous to the future of an industry so important to the welfare of the Dominion. " During such times as the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company is compelled by main v force to comply with, this arbitrary and ill-advised order,: its action, must be regarded as subject to the strongest protest and only for such time as legal compulsion is enforced. In making : such "a, protest the company is convinced: that it Is: acting in the ::best, interests of producers in. every respect, but l especially in the maintenance of the ; reputation :, of Canterbury lambs, as: against the increasing , competition of inferior South American brands. . .

A GISBORNE PRECEDENT,

■■'■>■ ■■•;-y.-°,£ *••!;.*.' -k:^r—- 'W --^''^v- •::'.*. : ; ; '.--; PRACTICE FOLLOWED FOR I"EARS; [BX TELEtiEAPH.— ; association,] '/•!

. GISBORNE, Monday. With reference to the controversy over the retention of kidneys in lambs - for export, Mr. W. D. Lysnar, M.P., chairman of directors of the Poverty Bay Meat Company, states that his : company had followed the practice of retaining the kidneys in lambs since the inception of the works in February, 1916, with eminently satisfactory ; results. ; Prior ;.to;. the war kidneys were also retained in .all sheep carcases, but the practice was abandoned when the meat was required ; : for the troops in France as there were no freezing facilities ,-in areas ; adjacent ;to the trenches. His company would continue ihe • practice :of retaining the kidneys in lambs, irrespective of : weight or grade, as it was satisfied that; it :was right: and proper to do so.

SmTEMiW FOR THE BOARD

NO EXPERIMENT INVOLVED.

ORDER CONFORMS TO LONG USAGE [BY. telegraph.— : \ CHKISTCHUECH. Monday. Mr. David Jones, chairman" of the Meat Producers' Board, has issued a statement which he says: "On the question of leaving kidneys and kidney fat / in lambs, it is well at the outset to lay down the principle on which the board is guided in connection with the frozen meat trade.' That is the policy that will return the highest price to the . farmer. ' "We have been carefully investigating the whole .question for several months, both in the Dominion and in Great Britain. "; We have taken evidence of men in the New Zealand frozen meat trade—-ex-; porters, freezing • works managers, and directors— have been killing, freezing and exporting lambs of all weights; froze?! with the kidneys and kidney fat in for many years and selling both c.i.f. arid on consignment. '■■:■" This, is ;no new thing. It; is not ait experiment. - All Argentine and Patagonian lambs go on the market with the kidneys and fat.;intact. All Australian lambs, excepting the. heavyweights from some factories, and rf.very large proportion of North Island lambs; [, regardless of weight, are exported with; the kidney and kidney fat intact. r , ; : ' " When tlie* board was Satisfied that it was .-decidedly. in v the interests of the grower' to have .lambs.dressed this way, it communicated ! with 'the- vice-chairman of the board, Mr. Jessep, who was then in London; asking him to ,investigate, the matter, with the retailers in England. The following 'are extracts fiomV advices received from him: , Thef majority of large -retailers and Smithfield salesmen express the; opinion that :it is an advantage' to have kidneys" lefts in lambs, :■. the Only : objection being in the case of an overfat lamb. This applies more.: particularly to i Australia, as New Zealand prime'< lambs I do riot; generally ! show excessive fat inside.' '* ':-■■• ■ ■-■;