THE FROZEN MUTTON CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2171, 3 October 1895, Page 12

THE FROZEN MUTTON CONFERENCE.

The following letter was read at lask week's meeting of the Palmeraton and Waihemo A. and P. Association from Mr John Douglas :—

Ab explained to you, although Mr William Souter and myself— your deputies appointed to represent your society at the Wellington convention respecting the frozen mutton question-were not able to be present, our views on the subjest were conveyed by letter thiou^h one of the deputies who attended, and to prevent misconception I beve recapitulate what was htated in my letter— namely : "I take this oppoitunity of mentioning some of the points which seem necessary to be borne in mind, both as regards the getting up here and distribution at Home of our frozen mutton, and would remark : (1) None but best quality should be frozen and sent Home. (2) What constitutes the right sort to send is difficult to define, because some of the middlemen aud butchers in London say the most suitable to Bend should be small-sized sort ; others say medium size ; othes heavy "size. My opinion fe tbe differed Rama nftrk«t9 ftoi clasaea ot

consumers require different ska and qualities a3 icclt. This fact should bo datertnined beyond doubt, then the sizes luost suitahle should bo senfe to the respective markets. But only really well fattened cheep of whatever sort should rxs shipped Home. (3) All muUon for oxport should be carefully graded and firebranded on the spot bero with a Government registered firebrand beforo Bnip* niont Then the brands sfwitld indicate whether maiden ewe, ewe, ueiher mutton, or latthb ; whether hcavii. medium, or light size ; whether prime, good, or ordinary quality. Alphabetic letters would indicate sort, size, quality— for example, wether, mutton could be represent td by W ; heavy weight by H ; prime quality by P ; and ro on as reg <rda tliu other sorts, sizes, and qualities Tho weights, which would constitute heavy, medium, and light, could be fixed. In like manner the frc.?iDg works where manipulated could bo designated by n lotter or mark agvotd upon. Further, 16 would tciul to keep up tho 6te.nda.rd of quality were growers' names also inscribed "by a registered alphabetic letter, nuinbvr, or mark, xn this fashion mutton could be hold by brand either aikmt or in fret zing chambers, s&ms as foreign go >ds are now soM afloat in London b fore arrival by the bvaud-iUslinßuislung quality, as well an tho grower's name indicted by a fixed brand When thus selling afloat thcbiokrror vendor guarantees that the parcel offered is fair avcrAgo quality of that brand. Firebrauding each shank bono is the only effectual mode. Doing this need not bo an arduous function, as when Kra-ling all sboop of ono class after being graded could bo burg in a row, so the br&mling could proceed without inU-i nipt ion. Firclranding mutton on thank turns 1 have jirovct to be a success. The above mode of gntrtiiifi would give a guatantoc th.vt tho ahe'jp in qu.'htion are not only of the right sort, but aKo of right stec and properly fafencd or otherwise. Tho great drawback hitherto in New Zesvlunl fiozon mutton shipments baa chiefly aristm from tho mutton not being al-o aold a? N<sw Z aland mutton, thus opening tho door tj inferior lliver Plate mutton and ofchera being submitted ami sulu" as New Zuilai.d runtton, and thereby ruiti'iig Now Zealand's mutton reputation. Aiiy attempt to lewedy exiting evils by plunging, a 8 proposed by Mr JSiathan and other*, headlong iuto handling not only the freezing, but tho distribution bueinefcß, before acquit ing a thorough kn^wledgo of every detail frompiiictic.il experience, would mo»t assuredly land such venture in disastrous mill. What I Lave ever since tha initiation of the funding hi'Miie^s a'-ked to bo done, but asked in vain, as the simplest and safest mode of puttint; Iho businf'SH on a s uud footing, waa to send— purely in growers' interests— a capable, reliable man or men to London to watch tho business and keep growers and shippers posted up in the wants of the business. GiowersactinK »P»n the experience thus {pined by exunls on tho spot would safeguard theinu'lve* in any future action they might take. This would, at a small coot and at once, tcud to check exhting evils, and knowledge thus ! gained would be «it.ale foundation upon which to cxtou'l futuic operations ronnectcd with th-.- digtrilution. Then with reliable brands registered I and known by the trade, Ui'ge developments might be uch'eved thruugii our Homo representatives by cntuiing into contracts to supply association?, clubs, and btures, to say nothing of butchera and probably tho army and nuvy." Our respected Assent-general, t4ir Wcstby Perceval, would, I feel bure, heartily ai-1 in this. I was for many years cue of the laige3t shippcis aa uq individual of frozen mutton, and my experiences anent ; thi-. would be bUrtling to recount— not calculated I to inspire confidence in conaigfceeH—aud have forced me to give the lamiJications of this busi-no-s fivin its importance closer attention than I othei wise perhaps should. " P.S.— Thero is sufficient margin in tho New Zealand sheep tax to meet the oxpenso of a Homo agent." In roply to » criticism Mr Douglas further says : — Your letter would indicate that you have not read with eufhvieut attention my letter to Mr A. C Be™. In it you will find that I provide that a Government registered alphabetic letter— 1. Indicates what sex and class each sheep is of. 2. Another registered alphabetic letter indicates whether each sheep is of heavy, mcdiwni, or light weight, 3. Another registered letter indicates whether each sheep is prime, good, or ordinary quality. 4 Another registered alphabetic letter indicates at what rcf rigerat'ng works each sheep is slaughtered, graded, and branded. 5 Another icgisterod alphabetic le^er or mark to iiidicxte the grower of c ich sheep. Thia would induce growers to be careful. With these brand marks, carefully and honestly made, a selling broker or buyer should require no further information than these indicate. The first four letters cquld be fixed in one brandmg iron, and could be indented on tha shank buna by one iinpr-i baton. Ihe grower's brand misfit have to be iniprebstd sepaiatcly. P. 8— Sii.ce writing the aboye I learn that at the confoience in Wi llington a prcfereiico wan indicated for having tho mutton-branding i J one by punctuiing the body of the carcase with an instrument wetted with an ink or dyo, Inil which has to be done before the carcase coote, tha ink or dye used leaving an indelible coloured impression, same as used by butcher* who slaughter for tho'eof the Jewish persuasion. My only object is to try and secure that the frozen mutton before shipment be really properly graded and intelligibly branded. Well, to meet the views expressed at Wellington respecting thi», let mo propote that the Government enact that the branding in so far as an exptrk is not required be done by the slaughterman in charge at the slaughtering works, using a brand signifying that the mutton is of New Z aland growth— s»y, using for this purpose the alphabetic letters N.Z ; and using the alphabetic letters as named above indicating sex, weight, and name of the works whore carcase iB slaughtered and graded, and grower's name or registered mark if required. All this could be dona without expert knowledge of quality, and would only leave the quality of the mutton to be graded and firebranded on the shank bone by the Govern' menl expert. But were the butcher in charge of the kilung of the sheep sworn in as Government expert, ho could also stamp the carcase after grading by the ink process, he being on the spot to to do so w/u'fo the carcase was hot, the letter or character denoting whether the carcase was aupsr, good, or common quality. Each quarter, aa stated above, should be branded to as far as potsible prevent fraud. Piactico would engender mechanical alacrity in branding. This is evidenced by the nimble movements in a printing office, and by the lightning speed at which little mite 3of

Epps's Cocoa.— Grateful and Comforting. ♦' By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine properties of well-selected Cocoa, Mr Epps has provided for our breakfaat and suppe* a delicately-flavoured beverage which may ssva us many heavy doctors' bills."— Civil Seivioe Gaeette.— Made simply with boiling water o» milk. Sold only in packets, by grocers and storekeepers, labelled— " Jajihs Bpps k Co., H<?m.»p!vtbifl GhflmietJU London* EtalanfL"

■hildren finger products in Home factories— a forte acquired by practice aud concentration of attention.