FROZEN MEAT IN LONDON

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7300, 2 December 1910, Page 5

FROZEN MEAT IN LONDON

FAULTS THAT REQUIRE TO BE REMEDIED

COMMITTEE'S REPORT PORT AUTHORITY SYMPATHETIC FEOM OV& SPECIAL COEEESPOXDENT. ' ; ; LONDON, October 21. ‘ Before sailing for New Zealand to-day by tlie Mor/a Mr AV. D6uglas Lysnar, Mayor of Gisborne, banded to me the reXx>rfc of tbo committee of New .Zealanders who have been investigating bis proposals for the improvement of the.system of discharging and distributing New Zealand frozen meat in London.

"The matter is now in a very satisfactory position/' said Mr Lysnar. - ‘"’Lord Devonport, the chairman of the Port of London Authority, was very sympathetic, and quite convinced that something must be done to improve the handling of frozen meat at the docks. The ; Port Authority are going to look unto the matter, and the chairman holies that it’ may be possible to provide' another and more suitable dock for the discharge of New. Zealand produce, ajid.so change the present system altogether. The chief points of the committee's report are given below. They deai categorically with the recommendations made by Mr Lysnar in the lengthy statement which I was enabled to send you a week or two ago; ■ ' The committee say in their report that they 1 have- investigated the position as* far as possible, and after consultation with the chief shipping companies, the port authorities, the manager of Lloyds' Underwriters' Association and a host of other people interested in the carriage' and distribution of frozen produce: in clie Old Country, they have come to the conclusion’ that the position as gonerall stated by Mr Lysnar.. has been fairly put. The committee find that upon the question of sorting produce in ships' holds, it j is .oh all hands admitted that •tho rpra/entj practice ds LacV /and .they strongly approve of the suggestions that the Port of'-London Authority should be requested to make such improvements to their present cool storage at tho Royal Victoria .and Albert docks—or some other •'site nearer Smithfi-.i’vs if poasible—that New Zealand ships can. discharge their frozen produce direct from tho hold by an elevator into a freezing store, where the produce could bo sorted and stored pending delivery to consignees or, buyers, riuch store they recommend should bo provided with elevators to redeliver the produce into railway, trucks, barges or vans at points sufficiently clear of the ship’s tertli to prevent the unloading of tho ship being interfered with by redelivering operatives. ! ... As regards the discharge of .'cargo 1 the committee recommend that in place of ehe* present method discharge should be made ■ by • means of a travelling. enclosed elevator. This would allow the- Hold to be entirely covered and would enable discharge to' continue, no matter what the weather. Alter watching the discharge of mutton at the docks the committee are strongly of opinion that* a great doal. :of damage is caused by carcases being sent down ' shoots to the wharf or to barges, ✓ and recommend . that the use of shoots should be don© away with. wherever possible. . . r '- ■, . - ■ . * As regards the foul condition of some of the barges used in tho'transport of meat from ships or dock stores to up river stores, the committee are quite convinced that Mr Lysnar was quite correct in his statement that a largo number .01 barges in use are not fit for carrying frozen product. They also cordially agree with him .that, the present methods oi taking produce from: the shij). to smithfield and up-town stores is. most unsatisfactory. i They, give many striking instances of the delays which occur in the transit of frozen" produce from the docks to Smithfield, and drive home the fact that less than .25 per cent.. of the vans used for the carriage of frozen meat, from the docks to Smithiield are insulated; the rest are merely vaus and carts, some with hoods. 1 others with no better covering for meat than.'a loose tarpaulin. They also discovered a very similar state of I affairs in connection with the barge transit of frozen: produce from ship to 'up-town stores. ’ : : ' All these delays, the committee aver; could be • abolished by "the introduction of the system of discharging direch into a sorting shod instead of the sorting being done in the; holds of ithe .ships as now. And they ha ve the "admission of men . in charge of the unloading of ships carrying frozen produce that, if the suggested system were adopted they could unload ships in half the timb occupied at present, ana with considerably less labour. , In addition there would be a greak saving . ot the ships' time in port, which would moan a further economy, and tho. : means of saving a largo sum ox money uliicli vi e producer; has at present, to pay, \t only indirectly., . ■ i, va. The system of carrying the meat on the men’s 1 shoulders' to and , from Simllific-d market might well ;be improved, say the committee, and the. handling would be cheapened by running the meat alou„ rails on rolling hooks. . „ The two railway sidings under smithfield market are not used" for meat fixmi the London Docks at all, although meat is railed to Smithfield from Liverpool. If Victoria Dock is to remain as tuo. permanent dock for discharging New Zealand produce, arrangements should be made to have the meat railed from there to Smithiield, but the committee trust that the dock authorities will provide a more suitable dock for the discharge of New Zealand .produce than, the victoria Hoarding’ the situation of Smithfield market the committee consider - that every effort should be made to get tlie Smithiield authorities to: have an adequate storage accommodation provided immediately above the market, the .prer sent stores at Smithfield being. totally ID As^lo a tlie method- of controlling the day to dav values, this - requires ; more consideration than the committee has been able to give to‘ it- They suggest that some effort should be made later to improve .matters in the future. :

WEST OF ENGLAND POETS. Tlie committee hare' investigated the facilities provided at; West of England port® To -utilise Liverpool to best advantage it would be necessary, they say. to arrange with the dock authorities to give Now Zealand a wharf to itself anti provide on- the upper story adequate freezing accommodation for the produce as they have done for Canada. The Liverpool dock authorities’ representatives -believe it would be possible to arrange for New Zealand what has been arranged for Canada. At the present time any New Zealand produce sent to Liverpool would have tb be carted across the road from the docks into store —not a very satisfactory arrangement. As to preserving the identity of the New Zealand produce after it comes into the hands of the retailers, the com: mittee suggest that ail ■ the freezing companies should adopt the system of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Co., and have a leaden seal attached by wire to cue of the legs of the carcase. This suggestion was made to the committee by Mr Gilbert Anderson. "A large number of the leading firms in the New Zealand frozen meat trade were interviewed on the subject of'Mr Lysnar’s recommendations, and none of them took any special exception to them. Several additional suggestions were made by the firms in question. AH complained more or less of the large number of small shipments and the great number of marks in each shipment. Some com-

plained also of a number of New Zealand ships being allowed to arrive about the same date, consequently flooding the resources of tha port in distributing large ‘shipments. «t>oine of the committee say they saw two boats from New Zealand, of tho same shipping line, being discharged at tho same time m the one dock. Tlie arrival of the steamers in London, should bo under some bettor, system.

Objection is taken to the practice of making allowances or deductions in, London in the buyer’s favour, such ns deducting all odd ounces in each weighing. This really represents a loss of about .il 16s per ton on New Zealand mutton sold through London, say the committee. The practice has been largely discontinued in 'Manchester, and the exporters in New Zeeland should make a stand against it in London. It is; an old-time custom that should now bo slop ped. The committee suggest that"strong representations should be made to the port authorities of London and the . Smith-, field market, that their cold storage, and berthing ' accommodation opposite any. such stores, should not be leased or sold to any person, firm or company unless it is done direct to a particular country-in order to . localise that country's produce as a -whole; otherwise a monopoly would he created for a: few to the detriment of the many.” Strangely enough, the Port of London Authority itself is not responsible for tho handling of the frozen meat trade save when the shipments are landed! over the quay and stored in its' cold storage equipment. It docs not control the meat discharged into barges- The committee have felt all along, however,, that idle Port ”bf Loudon Authority, brought into existence to; rectify the very- matters of- which they complain, is tho one most fitted to grapple with the provision of. accommodation- for a great and growing • trade. Tliey had. « series of interviews with the officers of tho Port Authority and discussed tho matter with the chairman, Lord Devonport. , He gave them a most atteotivn ■ and sympathetic hearing, and gave them, to understand that he was convinced that tho system of distributing frozen meat from tho Port,, of London was unsatisfactory. The main source of faulty handling was the passing ■of tho meat over tho ship’s side in barges of pri- . vato owners outside the control of the Port. Autliority. Lord Devonport added that tho chief engineer would .bo instructed forthwith to submit plans and estimates for, the erection" of cold, stori age equipment of tho, most up-to-date , character on -an: approved ‘spot in tho Port of Loudon Authority’s docks, the most. central and, convenient for- distrL button over the metropolis and to ii>' land points. ANOTHER DOCK WANTED. Having had an opportunity of inspect’ ; : ing most of the London docks the committee have come to the conclusion that tho most suitable dock for the discharge! of New Zealand produce : would ilo the South West India Dock, which -is connected by rail with all parts of England,, has an entrance depth of 23ft (winch is to be made 31ft) as • against) 26ft at the Victoria Dock, and is-within half an hour’s drive of Smithfield with;: a loaded van, as against two and a half hours from Viotoria Dock, where, at pro-: ; sent, produce is discharged by New Zea-v land boats. . Tiio committee make several recommendations for‘ the ; equipment , of the ; South West India , Dock for the efficient: ; and economical handling of cargo, mid they are of opinion that if the recommendations are carried'into effect all thg .'difficulties - and delays now occurring in. the- discharge of produce will bo overcome. The . . shipping companies concerned are-quite willing' to make th« South West India Dock their port of dis- , charge, providing . proper provision fqt the safe navigation of their vessels, is : made by the port .authorities. : Very estensiVo . alterations and improvement* will have.to bo made to the dock before the" shipping companies involved will con. - sent to use it, but it is , understood that : the port authorities are quite prepared; tv make those improvements providing they i .are assured that so far as New Zealand , ; produce is concerned advantage will bj ; taken of the up-to-date facilities the port,.) authorities may provide. ... ,"v' ' There" has been a . good deni of correspondence between tho ;Committee, the port > authorities, -and the shipping companies- ; concerning this : matter. . Among tlu points raised by this correspondence is, this one: Under the terms of the bill .of lading with Now Zealand shippers; it would bo necessary to get their" approval; ; ■ . The point tlie com mitt co understand that the Shaw Savill dud Albion. Com--p'ar.y make is .that:" by the suggested; alterations the ship. Would If and; ; the,, cargo over to the port authorities to sort ■in their freezing store and redeliver to ;; tho shippers’ representative instead of tho ship itself handing it over as at pre--.sont. '■ Tho committee cannot 'conceive that. Now Zealand producers will be likely to raise any difficulties under this head, nor do- they think it unreasonable, that Ilia port .authorities should, ask for some reasonable assurance, if they provide proper up-to-date facilities for,the handling and sorting of New Zealand produce at certain docks, that full advantage will,; bo taken by the New Zealand producers of those facilities. ~ , . . .' Throughout their inquiry the committee have found on all hands a sympathetic hearing from' "all ' partied, concerned, and from all, quarters', -have: ret ceivcd - assurances of cheerful co-operation in their endeavours to put matters in conneotiqn witli tho produce trade on a better footing. .- ■ The commitjieo was composed of the following New Zealanders Messrs L. H. McHardy. H. H. Wall; J. C. Field, WDouglas" Lysnar, and H. F. Recce. .