FROZEN MEAT AND THE WAR

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 14

FROZEN MEAT AND THE WAR

LETTER TO THE BOARD OF TRADE. MR GILBERT ANDERSON’S PLEA. a'BOM uuk Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, April 23. The commandeering oy tne imperial Government ot ail lire roir.geraiect tonnage inlets witlr general approval in Lonuon Irozen meat circles, and Mr Gilbert Antlersou says tnai tire only regret is tirat tins was not uune at an earlier stage.

Writing to tire president of the Board of Trade on March Zl, Mr Anderson said : “As agents lor several New Zealand farmers' ireez.ng companies, also lor a large number ot growers and shippers through other works and representatives ot the largest larmers’ freezing company, whose consignments arc sent tirrouglr various channels, 1 beg to. draw your attention to the serious position 01 the meat supplies to this country. and the harm which will bo done to New Zealand it special arrangements are not speedily made for early deny cries and future supplies. At the present time there are' ample supplies in store and on board steamers to meet ali requirements; but since it has been announced that the Government has commandeered all supplies, along with the apparent absence of shipments, prices have advanced in some instances by a further 25 per cent. I am advised that there are ample supplies for all our requirements if proper steps are taken to obtain these; but the future of the trade is imperilled, and there is the possibility that our requirements will not bo forthcoming when urgently required, unless the present block and stoppage of the freezing works in the colony is removed. It is necessary here that I should state that I was associated in New Zealand with the freezing industry from its inception, and was mainly responsible for the present freight agreement, while controlling the largest output, and I claim therefore to write from the standpoint of grower and freezing company. This country requires to import annually by regular shipments 550,000 to 700,000 tons of meat for its ordinary annual demand; but, to provide the extra food for our army, we must supplement this by a further 250,000 to 300,000 tons. That these supplies arc available has been proved by the arrivals up to date, and future supplies can be obtained if proper organisation is arranged to get them. Owing, however, to various causes, no special effort is being made ‘to discharge the large number of insulated steamers at tho Port of London and Liverpool; many have been in port for over a month, and some for six weeks. To carry our frozen meat in normal times we require tonnage for 30,000.000 to 32,000,000 freight carcases. The present insulated tonnage is for 16,131,200 freight carcases, which with ordinary sailings' provides freight carcases for 45,000,000 or something like an excess of 40 to 50 per cent, sufficient for our extra requirements at normal or slow sailings, and allowing for only two trips per annum to New Zealand and Australia. More than this is possible by accelerating discharge and loading, which would give a carrying capacity of possibly 50.000,000 freight carcases. There is ample tonnage not only for freight purposes, but sufficient for the requirements of the Admiralty. I now come to the most serious aspect, and claim to speak with an intimate and personal knowledge of meat freezing. Tho freezing works in New Zealand are blocked, and the majority have had to stop killing. The season is at its height, and the works should bo at full pressure. Growers have provided feed for the fattening of three-quarters to a million head of sheep and lambs per month from March to July, and_ these can only be turned off fat and in freezing condition and weight provided the monthly quantities are sent from the farms. If this is not done they have to remain and share the feed of the next drafts, resulting in these not getting with tho future possibility of a reduction in exports of 50 per cent, at a time when we are urgently requiring extra supplies. I therefore suggest that, in order to protect future supplies, insulated steamers should bo despatched to those districts where future supplies arc waiting to bo killed; that in districts such as South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, whore the killing is about complete, the meat should remain in store in tho colony until required. By relieving the most urgent cases only, and providing for the stock being killed as and when fat, ample supplies of meat will bo forthcoming. Otherwise the stock in the colonies will lose condition, and will become unfit for export. Serious loss will bo entailed on the colonies, and our meat supply will become seriously menaced during the time when it is urgently required. I see no difficulty in providing for the future if tho matter is dealt with

from a knowledge of the necessities of the whole circumstances.” CONGESTION AT THE DOCKS. Since then, Mr Anderson tells mo, the Port of London Authority has been urged by the importers and the Incorporated Society of Meat Freezers to deal with the matter of refrigerated tonnage in a prompt and businesslike manner. A steamer from each lino should bo dealt with at a time and every effort made to discharge that vessel promptly, so that she might be free to return to the colony. _ The shipowners are quite in, accord with this movement, and it is to be regretted that the Port of London Authority has not risen to the occasion.