COLD STORAGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19239, 1 August 1924, Page 2

COLD STORAGE.

OPENING CEREMONY. DELEGATES FEOM 15 COUNTRIES. (Feom Oub Own Correspondent,) LONDON, June 17. For a fortnight representatives of cold storage industries and refrigerating engineers are to discuss matters of technical importance in relation to the preservation of food. Delegates have come from the United States, Argentine Republic, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Holland, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Norawy, and Sweden. The subjects for discussion are arranged under seven sections: Scientific questions, refrigerating materials, general applications of refrigeration, refrigerated transport, legislation, education, and propaganda, and general economics and statistics. The remainder of the programme consists of visits to various technical laboratories, cold storage plants, and the docks at Avonmouth, Manchester, and Liverpool, London, and Southampton; besides various excursions which have only a social purpose.

As it was pointed out at the opening meeting yesterday, it is appropriate that the fourth International Congress of Refrigeration should be held in London. The dock system of the Thames handles a larger trade in refrigerated meat and other foodstuffs than any other area, and it is claimed that the pioneer work in practical cold storage was carried out at one of the London docks. Several hundred delegates assembled yesterday in the hall of the Institution of C’vil Engineers, when Mr Sidney J. Webb, President of the Board of Trade, welcomed the delegates. Two languages, French and English, will be spoken-at the congress, and interpreters will provide translations. Yesterday, however, the two languages were used without interpreters, and it is doubtful whether a great many of the English-speak-ing people understood the eloquent address made by M. Andre Lebon, president of the International Institute of Refrigeration, in reply to Mr Webb’s welcome. Mr Sidney Webb has a mild and pleasant voice, but the great audience, especially those at the back of the hall, probably had to assume the warmth of hio welcome without actually hearing it. It was fitting, ho said, that the congress should be held in London this year, for the British section claimed to have been founded in 1899, and they were thus celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary. Remarkable revelations of the advantages of mechanical refrigeration were given during the war period, and it was clear that the cold storage of foodstuffs would be of great assistance if any calamity interfered with regular supplies of imported food. Ho regarded the subject, however, from a somewhat wider standpoint. There had been greet centres of population before London and other densely inhabited areas, but it was interesting to reflect that the earlier centres of dense population were not peopled my meat-eaters, and it was possible to supply their needs from local sources if a sufficient- area was available to grow vegetable foods. The modern problem of feeding large populations was very different, and the 450 millions of people in Europe were dependent, to a great extent, on outside sources for their meat supply. ARRESTING THE FINGER OF TIME, The industry could claim to have arrested the finger of time, yet he thought they were only at the beginning of the successful application of the science. It had been applied to only a few cases and simple processes. He suspected that they would bo able so to improve processes that they could carry fruit and vegetables not quite ripe, and they would arrive in a better condition than when they started on tlleir journey. Speaking as FVesidcnt of the Board of Trade continued Mr Webb, he would like to point out that perhaps the whole art and utility of refrigeration depended on interchange between one nation and another. Ho would rejoice at the development of their industry that made for this interchange between communities, for he believed it was a real increase of freedom for nations from the bandage of Nature. Ho would suggest that they should hitch refrigeration—if not to a star—at ]eS3t to tlie idea that it did depend on this interchange between communities Sir Gordon H. Campbell, president of the British Cold Storage and Ice welcomed the Congress members on behalf of the refrigerating industry of Great Britain. Ho said it was the first congress held on British soil, and this country could claim to bo the cnadle of refrigeration. A number of the delegates replied, including Sir Thomas Mackenzie. The results of their deliberations, said Sir Thomas, would bo regarded with very great interest by New Zealand. Refrigeration had meant the very breath of life to that dominion. It was the only way they could develop. This country was in a serious state. They had no means of transporting their produce, except woo], to the markets of the world. With the development of the frozen meat industry the country had never looked back. He knew' that the success of the congress would bring still greater advantages to New Zealand. Other New Zealanders present at the opening meet were Mr D. Jones, Mr J. S. Jessep, Mr R. S. Forsyth, and Mr Hal Williams. Members of the congress were afterwards received at the Guildhall by the Lord Mayor.