FUTURE OF COLD STORAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18465, 28 January 1922, Page 6

FUTURE OF COLD STORAGE

INTELLIGENT COOPERATION NEEDED. REGULATION BY CONSENT. A NOTABLE PRESIDENTIAL ! ■ ADDRESS. (Pxom Oca Own CoanEsroNDENT.) LONDON, November 30. Mr George Goodsir (of Messrs W. Weddei and Company), who has been elected president of the Cold Storage and ■ Ice Association, delivered his presidential address a few days ago. He first sketched the progress of the society since its inception in 1889. It had always been an active body, ho said, and throughout the career of the Ministry of Food it was put in a. position to speak, for all sections of the industry, 'lire fourth International Congress ol Bel rige ration .would meet in London the year after next, and the association would act as host at a gathering at which the refrigerating interests of 40 different countries would lie suitably represented. Since its foundation in the early days of mechanical refrigeration, the association had witnessed a steady expansion in the trade in imported meats from 356,000 tons in 1900 to 810,000 tons in 1920. Broadly speaking, that expansion has taken place in Lne British market. The Continent and the United States had not come into the world’s market either extensively or continuously. Dealing with the future Mr Goodsir said: “The breath of new life is stirring the dry bones • of old-established customs and methods—we shall never revert to pre-war conditions. The future holds in store for relrigeration uses, opportunities, advantages, and benefits lor itself and for this nation, if not for others beyond anything attained in the past. The limits of,,economy and simplicity in refrigerating machinery cannot have been readied. The mere fact that there are, so many types of machines • on, the market suggests to, the lay mind that experts are. not agreed amongst themselves as to what is absolutely the best instrument for producing cold. Even allowing for the human factor with all its varying mental developments, and allowing also for diverse conditions under which the creation of cold has to be effected, there does appear to mo' to be room for some concentration of effort iipon one or two types of machines, which, when .selected, might admit of considerable standardising of parts with all the economies in prime cost and subsequent working which would follow upon standardised production.” POOLING EXPERIENCE. Then again, although vast advances bad been made, in the effective construction of insulating chambers of one kind and another, he doubted if insulation had reached so high an all-round standard of real efficiency as had the production of cold. In the latest report of the Food Investigation Board, whiph had been investigating (scientifically the problems of thermal conductivity through the National Physical Laboratory, it was stated that “although these problems have been studied for a hundred years past the broad result is that no two observers agree aa to the precise value to be attached to the relative efficiency of any two insulating materials.” Would it not be desirable in this direction also to have experts brought together in order to reach substantial Agreement regarding simplicity and economy in construction. In this way results bo secured which would be positively and not merely possibly the best for all concerned. This waa one direction in which the work of the Government’s Scientific and Industrial Research Committee might yet prove to be of inestimable service to refrigeration. REGULATING SUPPLIES. Broadly speaking, expansion in the importation of meat had taken place in the British market only,* the Continent and the United _ States coming into the world’s market neither extensively nor continuously. The war demand, it was true, tended to develop fresh source.s of supply and to expand the output of the _ older resources, but notv that its artificial stimulus had been removed and Great Britain remained! alone as a buyer, the visible supply had temporarily outgrown the normal demand. Refrigeration had been applied more freely to the production, of meat supplies than the permanent circumstances warranted, so that they wore witnessing tumbling markets with glutted warehouses and consternation in the producing centres concerning the immediate future. Hero it would appear as if the prudent course to pursue would be for all the interests concerned to meet and reason together in. conference - and endeavour to evolve some method of improving the situation as a whole. Reconstruction in this case might conceivably take some form of “regulation by consent,” as an alternative to the forcible expulsion of the weaker units by the operation of irresistible economic law. If “regulation by consent” were designed merely to restrict temporarily a flood of unwanted and were to achieve that object by the elimination of the lower grades of quality, there might' be an, immediate gain, to the, meat industry as a whole, and ultimately an advantage to consumers, who, after all, preferred quality to quantity. SPIRIT BASED ON INTELLIGENCE “To-day,” continued Mr. Goodsir, “fee Governments of Australia and New Zealand are working strenuously in the interests of their exporters to bring about some combination of action for the salvation and betterment of industries, which formerly were left to themselves to wage the battle for the British market. Just what will insult from the concentration of effort 1 know not, but, bearing in mind the .well-known fact that South American voluntarily restrain their individual efforts for the common good, there would - appear to bo no very great advance in principle towards combined or simultaneous action by these throe great sources of snpplv to secure some plan of campaign which, while meeting the desires of producers and the growing demands! of consumers, will avoid unnecessary waste through temporary oversupply, ’ with its inevitable . reactions of shortage and dearness. Any such development would be fresh evidence of the cxisttence of a new spirit based upon intelligent instead of purely competitive lines —in other words, up-to-date reconstruction. THE DAIRY TRADE. "Other industries based on refrigeration may not be in a position calling for such definite coordination of effort; but imported dairy produce, the great bulk of which reaches this and other European countries by the aid of artificial oold. has experienced the advantages, as well as the disadvantages, of Government control; and it will be surprising if the future does not witness material changes in the general conduct of that groat trade. The purchase by the Government of a whole season’s output of butter or cheese from Australia, New Ben land, or Argentina, at an all-round price in each ease, nas put ideas into the minds of producers which are likely to bear fruit in the future in the direction _ of securing some sort of general supervision in each country over the standardising of grades of quality, identity in terms of sale, regulation, of shipments, and approximation of selling price, ail of which must inevitably tend to tho welding of each country’s export trade into a harmonious whole —possibly after the fashion of the Danish butter trade, which is very strictly controlled by , the consent of the shippers for the general good, rather than in the interests of individuals.” Referring to the need for less individualistic methods, the speaker said ■ that tho producer, the distributor, and the consumer were all unorganised; but the shipowners and the storekeepers, having adopted more modern methods of protecting _ their interests, while at the same time giving good service, had agreed with their competitors as to what charges could properly be imposed upon the industry. Thus it oame about that from ’ each source of supply, Australia. New Zealand, Argentina, etc., there waa one standard rate of freight to this market; and also after the goods were discharged, it was found that there was only one storage rate ruling amongst all t e cold stores in London, and practically the same' seals of charges throughout, the country. Without expressing any opinion upon the economic and political aspects of these facts, he - desired to direct tho attention of all concerned to the need which arose, therefrom [or some protective counter--1 action on the part of distributors, who might othenv’-e find it increasingly difficult to bring producers and consumers together on any basis ot price which would be satisfactory to both parties. DANGERS TOTE GUARDED AGAINST. Intelligent combination on the part of the members of most trades was becoming, if it had not already become, an accepted plan of .campaign. But tho new attitude was not without its dangers, and must bo watched close I- lest these better organised 1 sections acquired an undue influence over the fate of the parties most deeply concerned—the producer and the consumerout of proportion to their intriirio merits. This watchfulness could not be exercised, nor remedies applied, by the individuals most concerned, half so effectively as by those individuals working in association. I It would be unwise to wait for t3»e day. of danger before thinking about- -potting

their boon in order. Anyone with imagination could see 'big problems looming m the near distance: He bad mentioned the growing competition of the co-operative movement. There were the huge amalgamations of shipping companies and banking institutions, which oould hardly fail to curtail and hamper individual liberty of traders. There was the growing jjroneness of all Governments to take an active , hand in the regulating, if not ip the-actual conduct of (*>called), vital industries. There was in this.country a steady growth in the study of national hygiene, with its'inevitable crop of Government interferences with trade in the interests of public. health. If, therefore, the industries thus threateneddid not oome together to consider the best methods to employ, to counteract these various seemingly adverse influences, they would deserve to suffer. Rather they must surely decide uppn some concerted course of action which would anticipate troubles, and devise in advance such remedies aa would disarm criticism by their completeness and fairness. It was of no use waiting till the enemy was upon us, whether the action was to be fought over frozen meat, dairy produce, fresh fruits, fish; poultry, or any other class of food imported by means of refrigeration. They might to be up and doing n-ow that war conditions were passing away, and before trading methods, became once again stereotyped. HYGIENIC METHODS. ‘The by-laws regulating the action of sanitary authorities throughout the country,” Mr Goodsir concluded, “though still in a somewhat chaotic state, constantly tend to become more consistent and also more exacting. But no one can deny that improvements could •bo effected as regards the position of refrigerated food ns well as fish of all kinds from contamination while in transit to the consumer. • Uncovered meat should not be seen in railway wagons, carts, or trucks of any kind, nor should meat or fish be exposed for sale where the dust of the street can be blown upon .it. After all, if it wore made compulsory to have windows put in all butchers’ and fishmongers’ ebop fronts, it would only be adopting what is practised in Paris today, or reverting to what was the almost invariable rule in Scotland JSO ydars ago, though'now fallen into desuetude. .To, observe the greatest oaro handling ice up to the point at which It is delivered from the, ice-cart, and then to allow it ‘io be dragged by hooks along the .roadway into the fishmonger’s shop, is, .simply fooung with the subject, ana manifestly there is need here, too, for bringing the regulations up to date, or voluntarily reconstructing onrmnethods.” • i