THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2523, 23 July 1902, Page 25

THE FRO ZEN MEAT TRADE.

A CO-OPERATIVE FREEZING COMPANY.

WOODVILLE. July 18.

The conference re frozen meat resnmeel sitting at 9 o'clock this morning. The committee appointeel to draw up recommendatkcis made a report, which wa»s adopted as follows: — That a e-o-operative freezing company be foimed, with a capital of £200,000, in £5 shares, called the New Zealand Meat Produei m'r n ' As-c< lation (Limited) : that the company be not floated until half the shares are applied for ; that there be. nine directors, with power to add to the number, fi\e to form a quorum ; that the election of directors be left to the delegates from each of the nine electorates represented at the conference ; that it be a recommendation to the provisional directors to interview the existing freezing companies in Wellington and Hawke'p Bay with a view to inducing them to do the company's work on enoperative lines, and, failing that, that the company he floated and do its own freez•iug. That the voting power of the phareholdert. be as. follows : — One vote for each share up to 10, one vote for each 10 shares beyond that, and no shareholder to have more than 40 votes. A long dicoussion took place on the question of approachinc existing compnnus, opinions being divided as to whether it was desirable to first form the company ami then approach the companies t'.id ask them to cease buying and freeze only on farmers' account, or ask them first, anel if they refused, then to start works on the ec.mpany'b own account. Kventually it whs decided that a company be formed, and that instructions bo given to the directors to interview the existing companies. The question was then raised as to whether shareholders were prepareel to bind them selves to supply all their fat sheep to the proposed company The opinion was ey, pressed by- lariou* delegates that farmers must pledge themselves te> do this, otherwise their efforts to compete with existing <'om panics would be futile. The questi< n was eventually allowed to stand over for the preseftit. Mr Hansey (Dannevirkp) moved, and Mr Wliitecombe (Kartawa) seconded — • "That the time has arrived when the Government shoulel be asked to appoint grader^, i-o that all meat leaving the colony be tfraeleel and stamped -with a New Zealand brand." The Chairman ruled that this question had no ecnneotion with the formation of the company. Provisional directors uere then elented as follows: — Messrs John Martin (Wairarapa), W. Pen-y (Maf-terton), H. D. Buchanan (Pahiatua), Davis (Waipawa), T. Hallett (Hawke's Bay), John Davies (Otaki), Donald Frater (Manawatu), D. P. Buchanan (Rangitikei), Thomas D«n- t can (Wangaehu). The meeting ol_r>ceel with cheers for the organiser?, Mc--rs Smith, Perry, and Buchanan.