THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 7

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

(Press, July 9.)

In another oolumu vtp. pub Hah a most valuable and instructive table dealing with th 6 New Zealand frozen moat trado. The tablo shown in a comprehensive form tho present position and past progreßa of this important industry. From it can be ascertained at a glance the rapid strides which have been made in the export of frozen meat from 1882, in which year tbe trade commenced, to tbe 30th of June last. The figures disclose a rapid and gratifying advance year after year without exception, while the exports for the half-year ending June SO last very nearly approaoh thoße for the whole 12 of 1889, praotically equal those for 1888, and considerably exceed, those for 1887. Progress such aa these Btatißtioß disolose is probably unrivalled in the history of colonial production, and Bpeaka volumes for the productive capability of this oolony, and the enterprise of our agricultural and pastoral population. In the frozen meat trade New Zealand, baa ptftotioally %

new sourco of wealth, already exceeding our total gold production, and promising at no distant date to equal the present dimensions of our wool industry itself. Nine years ago, in 1882, the frozen meat trade sprang intc existence. In that year the export was valued at £19,339, gradually iucreasing till in 1889 it rooched over 5700,000, while tho year which is just hnlf o\er promises to greatly exceed any former one, as the statistics for the past six months show. Dealing with the figures for tha year beginning on July 1, 1889, and closing on June 30, 1890, it will be seen that we exported 1,212,808 caicaßß6B of mutton, besides pieces and legs, weighing 73,748,4271b ; 260,204 carcasses of lamb, weighing 9,824,2661b ; find 8,634,8321b of beef. There were also in Rtore ready for shipment 111,590 carcases of mutton, 16,4561b carcasses of lambs, and 1,359,924 of beef, The quantity exported during that period was worth, free on board, within a few pounds of £1,000,000, and with the stocks in hand considerably exceeded that amount. In other wordß, the sum just mentioned was received by the stock growers of the colony, the only deduction being the freezing and local oharges up to the date of shipment. Compared with the exports for the corresponding 12 months there was thus an advance in value of over a quarter of a million Bterling for the year under notice. To copß with this enormous export business our shipping companies fcave been oalled upon to provido an amount of freezing space undroamt of a fsw years ago. Within a short space of lima there havo been introduced into the trado 22 cargo boats of large capacity, making two trips per annum between tha colony and the Mother Country; 10 mail steamers, making two and a-half trips a year, and nine Bailing vessels, making one trip each por annum. In other words, provision has been made for taking away considerably over one cargo of frozen mutton per week all the year round. These figures will enable our rosdors to form some idea of tho great ramifioptioosof this compartively new colonial industry. It ie thuß not only greatly increasing our shipping buainess, it- has added, as we have already pointed out, a freßh source of wealth $o the colony, aud has given a value, to agricultural and pastoral property which otherwise could not have been enjoyec'. A million pounds por ftnnum represent.' interest on over £15,000,000 sterling capital, and it may safely ba said that the frozen meat industry has at leaßt addsd that amount to tho aeseta of the colony. Nbr is this al. It may bo affirmed that the industry is capable of very lar?e expansion. The figures print3d in another column show what that expansion has been in ipa?t years, and the colony is certainly capable of almost indofinifcoly increasing the production of the primoßt mutton aud beef. To cay nothing of what can bo done in that direotion in tho moro settled districts of the South Island, there are vast areas of good land in the North still covered with forest, whioh only require the industry and enterprise of tha hardy settler to be converted into rich pastures, carrying great flocks of sheep and cattle. It is tbe frozen meat in dustiy which ha? given such au impetus to the HGlUement of land in tha Wellington provincial liisuicr, whao large areas of Crovvn lKnn» havo iaisly j'ouu opaiied. Tho following important statistics have botc furnished by tho National Mortgage and Agencj Company, Dunediu :— Summary of Frozh> Meat Bxpohtbd fkom Nbw Zealand from Ist January 1890 to 30fch Juni 1890.

It is proposed to house the public art collection in a building to be ereoted on the museum reserve,

Mutton. Ports. Auckland ... [Jisborne Napier Wellington ... Lyttelton ... Eimnru Oam aru ... Port Chalmers Bluff Carcases. 31! 141 17: 21 51 41 2t 6,964 i 3,590 L 2.770 16,248 '7,724 !0,39l 13,059 ,1,332 !6,&47 Legs. 4 59,801 722 | Pieces. Weight. lb. 419,081 2.^08.50912,995,895 9,387.987 10,220,807 1,205,501 3,023,637 2,503,67y 1,645,221 2,863 - 71 [„325 60.627 2.863 43.609.30 ii Lamb Beef: Poits. Carci ies. Weight. Weight. nd 3isborne Sapier Wellington ~ ... Lyttettou L'lruaru Damaru Port Chalmorß ... Bluff ... 1.5 l.< 25,1 25,: 149,' 9,: 22.; 10,1 3.1 (20 161 )20 r3B 163 !35 588 m )58 lb. -19,132 56,164 843.959 907,227 5,463.004 319.664 768.245 400 606 123,188 lb 59,858 591,556 4.380,665 163.577 54,947 249,421 8,931,189 5,250,603 iutton. Lines of Vessels. Carcases. Lei [8, Pieces. Weight. S.S. and A. Co, N.Z.S.Co. ... Col. Union 00. Shire Line ... 271 21! 151 6! „644 1,859 .087 „935 2»,; 34, 144 .13 144 1,496 .13 1,367 lb. 16.483,72:1 13,307,667 9 884,721 3,933,195 43.609,309 1,325 I ,27 I 2,863 71i 60,! Lamb. Beef. Lines of Vessi sis. Carci ises. Weight. Weight. S.S. and A.. Co. ... N.Z. S. 00. Col Union Co. ... Shire Line 124,463 84,533 15,868 24,558 lb. 4,465,410 3,075,132 529.849 860,798 lb. 2,310.332 2,643,244 297,027 249,421 8.931,189 5,250,603 Mutton. Shipmeuts. Legs. Pieces. , Weight. Jarcases. 'iom Ist July 1889 to :*la' December ISBU Yom let January 1890 to 30th June 1890 lb. i 94,477 29,522 62 30,>39,11! 718,325 60,527 2.863 43,609,30! Total for the year 90,049 2,915 73,718,42' 1,212.802 Itored waiting ship J meufc June SO, 1890 ... 111,590 Lamb. Beef. Shipments. Carcases. I Weight. Weight. Ib. I lb. 'Rom Ist J 1889 to 2 December 185 'rom Ist Janui 1890 to & June 1890 uly 31st. 90 lary EOtb 10,783 393,077 0,384,229 249,421 8,931,189 9,324,266 5,250,603 8,634,832 Total for yeai 260,204 itored waiting shipment June 30, 1090 1,359,624 16,456