CHILLED BEEF

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21793, 7 May 1934, Page 11

CHILLED BEEF

PROSPECTS OF TRADE RIPPING COMPANIES' FAITH ADAPTATION OF VESSELS PRODUCE TREATMENT COSTS "Shipowners generally were never oro anxious than they arc to-day to mbino with the shippers to make tho tilled meat business successful and ofitable to all concerned," said Sir •fhomas Bilbe Itobinson, of London, a director of the New Zealand Shipping Company, Limited, and tho Federal "team Navigation Company, Limited, jvho arrived by the Monterey on Saturday from Sydney. "I have been in conference with my E oii ea gue s on tho board on all points -onnccted. with this new development in Australia," said Sir Thomas, "and rthen I return to London we shall, as {• a r as .possible, adapt our tonnage as far as may be necessary to cope with the business and to co-operate with the Rippers to make it a success." Sir Thomas, who was Agent-General j n London for Queensland from 1910 to 1919) was also engaged throughout the Great War in the responsible position of director of meat supplies for tho allied 'armies. For this purpose tho offices of the Queensland Government jn London were placed at the disposal of the War Office. Sir Thomas, who is accompanied by J,ady Robinson, has spent about three months in Australia on a combined business and holiday visit, and will leave Wellington on Friday by the Rangitata for England. Period of Safe Carriage

"The meat trade has engaged a good deal of my attention in Australia," said Sir Thomas. "A great change is taking place in the beef trade, owing to the researches at Cambridge and experiments at this end. A period of 40 days between the kill and the consumer was sufficient for the River Plate trade, but this was not long enough to cover the*voyage between England and Australia or New Zealand.

"However, by an admixture of the jtmosphere with gases which are in no way deleterious to the meat, the period during which meat can be safely maintained in a chilled condition has been increased to between 50 and 60 days. In order to meet the requirements of economical carriage we want that period extended by another 10 days at least, if possible." As'the -.period of safe carriage had jlready been considerably extended, there was ground for the belief that further researches would lengthen the period as desired. The keenness of shipowners to cater for the trade was evidence that the prospect of the chilled keef industry in Australia and New Zealand was regarded hopefully. Tf beef was to be carried in a chilled condition it was essential that ships be adapted for the purpose. To use, unaltered, holds built for the frozen meat trade would involve an uneconomical use of- the space. This meant that certain costly structural alterations, had to be jfiade.

i Costs o! Treatment .Asit was not possible, without harmful effect upon the contents, to open » chilled meat hold until' the time of unloading arrived,.a sufficient quantity of meat should' be available to fill thf> hold at the time of loading, otherwise the carriage would not be an economical proposition, Sir Thomas continued. To ensure that the hold was filled, two or three meat works could combine their shipment, for, once sealed, the hold could not be opened for additions to the contents.

£ll these were problems which beset the change-over, said Sir Thomas. The specjal 'treatment which chilled beef required, as contrasted with frozen meat, was being carefully observed in Australia. There must be freedom from all contamination. He was assured by the abattoir authorities in Australia that this treatment would not increase the costs, as compared with frozen beef, by more than the equivalent of l-32d per lb. f.o.bi This, he thought, was a hopeful indication. An increase of l-32d would obviously be more than compern sated for by a market return perhaps 2d per lb. greater than that from frozen beef. _ "With a chilled beef, trade established," said Sir Thomas, "I 'do not doubt that a larger proportion of Australian and New Zealand beef would he marketed in Britain. To that extent there would be a decrease in tho proportion of chilled meat supplies which hitherto came from the Argentine. Tho strong feeling of Empire trade will, of course, be an important factor operatlng tp our advantage."