BLUFF OYSTER TRADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15098, 22 March 1911, Page 4

BLUFF OYSTER TRADE.

REPLY TO COMPLAINTS.

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT BLAMED.

(Pee UtjiTEn Press Association.)

IN7EROAKGILL. March 20.

A_ Southland Times reporter to-day interviewed the Bluff oyster merchants in regard to complaints as to the bad condition of the oysters sent north. The fact that many consignments had been rejected was ii-ecly iiumitted, but it was stated that this was solely due to the unusually warm weather. * Special precautions .had been taken to uvoid storage ;i.nd to ensure that the oysters were fresh, but merchants had. appealed in vain to the Railway Department to carry the oysters in insulated trucks such as were used for the carriage of frozen meat. Undor tlve existing circumstances the trucks stood about in the sun, and the tarpaulin coverings only added to the heat. Every Melbourne shipment save one had been entirely satisfactory-, and in the case of that one the trouble was caused by the temperature of lhe cooling chamber being reduced to freezing point, thus killing the oysters. The Wellington .suggestion that oysters of last year's dredging were put i« with the consignments was ridiculed, it being pointed out that it was against the law to hold oysters in the close season. Tho fishmongers had not been losers over the rejections, a« Bluff merchants mada allowances in such cases, and consequently had made' no profits this year. It wa-s argued that if , the Government took over ths industry higher prices would result, and that anyway the Bluff oysters were got from the free and open sea, over which the Goyarnment could claim no monopoly.