THE CHARGES OX FROZEN MUTTON.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XV, Issue 5210, 30 June 1888, Page 2

THE CHARGES OX FROZEN MUTTON.

The offer made by Messrs Nelson Bros., of the Tomoana Freezing Works, to the sheepfarmers of Poverty Bay has fallen through, and with little reason for regret. In the present stage of development of the pastoral industry in this district there would be considerable risk of embarrasament or failure in supplying the required number of sheep, and until the industry is placed upon a more extensive footing it would not be wise to give a ouarantee at all. But apart from this consideration, the chances are that something will bo gained and nothing lost by delay. Sheep fit for the frozen meat trade are at present far from brfing a drug in the market. Lately Auckland has been a mote profitable market than London when all charges are deducted Of course, no one would think of permanently depending altogether upon the northern capital a<? an outlet for the surplus stock of this district, but for all that it is worth taking into account. The Waikato generally is a poor sheep country compared to Poverty Bay, and in addition to this it should bv> borne in mind that the market iB nob exactly at the door of the Waikato stockown.tr. It costs him money to convey his sheep from the country to the town. A GisbomcS visitor has just returned from the Waikato, and he states chut the Bettlers there are in a most depressed condition. That should not b<? the case wirh fab sheep selling in Auckland up <<> 17a p. r h< ad.

Mes.-M Nelson Br s. offered to defray »11 charges after delivery of the sheep at Gieborne for 2JJ per Ib. Assuming that tho frozen muiton realised 4d in the Home markets, the shipper wi.uld receive l|d per Ib. for th^ carcase. Thab assuredly would not be a profitable business for the grdwer of the mutton. Suppose only 3id was obtained in the London market" the sheepfarmer would receive -fd. In that caso the sheepfarmer would ship at a dead loss. It may be said that 3|l is only a chance quotation, the minimum reached when there is a glut in tho market, and that it w>uld only be a fair business risk to calculate upon obtaining a higher figure. The experience of the Canterbury tfroznn Meat Company does not warrant a smuuine conclusion on the subject. Afc a meeti g of the Company held a few cays ago it was stated that the average obtained f«>r shipments duriag the year was 3£d. Most people must have read that statement with a f >eliug of sur priso, for (he cable messages published from time to time pointed to a higher average. The Canterbury Company is now moving in the direction of obtaining cheaper freights, and at a recent meeting the sub jecb was di-cussed at some length. Mr John Grigg, tho Chairman of the Company, presided, and reminded his fellow, shareholders of the practical result of a meeting held for a similar object in December, 18S6. He gave a bri. f survey of the frozen meat business since its initiation in 1882 by the opening of freezing works near Dunedin, wnich was soon followed by the Canterbury, Wellington and other Companies. The rate of freight charged by tho Shipping Companies was 2d per Ib, then l-^d, at which price the Shipping Companies made a determined stand. At last tho freezing companies entered upon combined action, and the result was that a third competing service of steamers entered the held. That has j been of immense service to sheepfarmeis. The Tysor Company is now carrying mutton at l^d per lb, and a fresh pouuv.ct has been entered in with that Compunv [ to convey 30,000 carc^es in Aimust next at ald par lb. The directors of tho Canterbury Frozen Meat Company are fully convinced that Id per lb could be 1 permanently fixed as the futuro rate of freight, provided that large contracts were made for a considerable period. The direcors were also convinced that that would a paying rate for shipowners. The Chairman stated that in his opinion any further red uctioa would involve a loss on the owners of vessels. The last statement was made in answer to a paragraph that had been Efoing the rounds of the papers thab one Company had determined to reduce the rato to f ! per lb. Mr Grig" thought the statement was made with the obj cfc of inducing farmers to hold back their shipments. It is to be hoped that he is mistaken. Mr Grigg says he has given the freight question much consideration, bat the Shipping Companies ara the best juoges of a paying rat. The object of *» fd rate might be to drive the Tyser Company out of the trade, but a movti of that kind would be a dangorous expeiiment, in which the concern aimed at m'ght be the last to go undnr> However, the Shipping Companies may be trusted to take care of themselves.

On the m tion of Mr Grigg, it was resolved that with the view of obtaining a

moderate supply of freight, tho directors be instructed to obtain guarantees from farmers to supply stock up to 180.000 sheep per annum for freezing and shipping during the year 1889 and 1890 at a rate df fruichb nor. exceeding Id per lb, and that the directos be empowered to engage freight for that number, it being Irft t • their discretion to make shipping srrangements whether the number was guaranteed or not. During the last six months the company hud frozen 155,000 carcases, including cittlo, so it is n>t apprehended that any difficulty will be experienced in getting 180.000 sheep per annum for the next two years. The Chairman himself hHiid^d thtt uuarantee list with 20,000. As Mr Grigg has a cultivated furm of aomw 30,000 acre* t>f as good land as there is in the whole of Australasia he will have no difficulty iv fulfilling his engagement. He could load a few grain ships as well. At the meeting it was stated that the cost at this side was £d per lb and that the charges in London amounted to an equal sum. A penny per lb freight brings the total cost up to twopence.

Mr Blackwood, Government Inspector of Machinery, is now in this district. The Customs duties collected at Gisborne for the month of Jiine amount to £1090 2 1 *, It is announced that the smallpox outbreak in Tasmania coat the colony £8000. Colonel and Mrs Ta> lor, Salvation Army celebrities, passed through Gisborne yeaherday The Columbian Rink was well patronised this afternoon, when the band was in attendance. The rink opens again this evening. Mr W. S. Greene held a sale of frui trees to day. A large consignment of tree will be offered on Monday. A football match, Gisborne v. Rovers, fors the cup presented by Mr J. R. Scott, is taking place this afternoon. The sum of £3300 was p*saed through the totalisators at the Hawke's Bay races recently, b"ing an advance of a few hundreds on the total of last year. At a butcher's shop in Kensington, New Zealand moat is Belling at the following rates:— Mutton, leg% 7s<t per ib ; loin chops, 10J ; beef, airloins, 9£d ; rump steak, Is Id. There are salt springs in various parts of the colony. One is near Taupo, and there are others in the Nelson district. It does seem strange that this industry should never have been developed. As will be seen elsewhere, this evening R. Matthews, the noted pugilist, undertakes to knock Professor Lon^ out of time in five rounds. It is thought that Matthews will easily win, though a good fight may take [ place. The Rangitikei Advocate notifies that it will devote all the half crowns received for birth, marriage, and death advertisements towards the E*st London food mis-ion. Each half crown will suppiy a meal ti> 60 starving people. A Napier paper, referring to Te Kooti, 3a y S : — «• It is simply a scandalous piece of cowardice on the p.irt of Mr Mitcholsou that he does not prohibit these periurinations of the quondam hero of the Poverty Biy massacre. FT our own part we should heartily rejoice were some o'd resident of the coast to put a bullet through Te Kooti's head." The Chairman of the Brunnerton Licensing B-nch recently opened proceedings wiih a "little prayer." Ke invoked a blessing upon bin fellow commissioners, upon the clerk, the police, the widow whose case was to be heard, aye, upon the tsvo members of the legal profession who were present. The audience were " convulsed with laughter." At the Theatre Royal Skating Rink last night there was a fair attendance. The rink was opened for children this afternoon when there was a large attendance. Next week the management TO ill hold a race for gentlemen, go as you please for ten minutes. A race between couples of lady skatera will also take place during the week. The gold medal awarded by the Borough Councillors to the best all «-ound man in the Volunteer Fire Brigade is a really handsome trophy. It is the work of Mr W. Frazer, jeweller, of. Gladstone road. The medal is beautifully engrave I, with a floral wreath in the cen're enclosing the date on which the trophy was issued, A raised border of polished tOld gives prominence to the yellow ground on which in well-cut letters are the words "Gisborne Munioip il Tropny," The medal is to be competed for yearly. The present holder is Mr T. Morrison ( \ r o 2). The trophy will be on view in Mr Frazer's window up to next Wednesday morning.

A knowing wink pissed round the County Council table yesterday afteruooo when the ranker reported that ;v lady had opposed him in the execution <>f his duty, and had rescued cattle which he was driving away. Ie was also adu>.d, "Bad language was liberally u-ed." One Councillor thought they should not prosecute the lady, it being her first offence. If her husband had been there they could have gone for him, "If her husband had been there," remarked another Councillor, " I guarantee he would have had n<> say in the matter. I would rather face twelve mm than that s.me woman." Several Councillors aeenited inclined to prosecute,but others who no doubt had a dread of meeting the Udy in the street if they did, pleaded on her behalf and gained the day.

A young Englishman who arrived at S&n Francisco from Sydney nearly a year ago (says a correapondeni) has had an unpleasant experience. He was travelling with a friend, and left him one evening, after making an appointment for the followiag day. Nothing mure was ever heard of him till the friend, a few days ago, received a letter written in Ei'glaud, stating that he had gone into a siloon for a drink, aud there met a couple of men, with wh«m he had a second He remuinbered nothing more until he woke up and found himself at sea. He had boen ilrugge.d and shanghied, somebody signing for him on the ship's articles as John Brown. All his money and clothes were gone, and he had to work his way to Euglaud, The young fellow is of good family, and he is fearful leat his friends should learn his fate and chaff him most unmercifully. Mr Thomas Miles, who died in the Gisborne Hospital yesterday, was one of the earliest of New Zealand settlors, having arrived in Wellington on the 15th October, lS4l,iu the ship Arab. For several years after his arrival he was engaged in the coastal and ■ydney trade. In 1848 he went to the Cilifornian diggings. On his return to the colonies, he traded between Nsw Zealand and Sydney, and when the Otago goldfields broke out Mr Miles chartered vessels to convey horses from Australia to Duneilin. Se afterwards joined Mr Donald, of Weilington, in the brewery business. Mr. Miles next kept a publicbouse in Melbourne, and lost a good deal of money. A similar venture in Sydney turned out equally bad, and left him almost penniless. Whilst in Sydney he lost his wife. The deceased next followed the occupation of a gardener, and was for some time employed in this district by Mr Bloomfield. Mr Miles, like many other old colonistß, Buffered a sad reverse of fortune, and towards the close ef an eventful career had to depend upon an odd day's work for a living. He leaves three children in Melbourne, all of whom are grovn up.

Wanted known — Suits made to measure from the best Irish tweeds, personally selected by Mr P. F. Crawford at the manufactories, £4 S3 5 perfect fit guaranteed. — W. Jaggs, Tailor, Gladstone road. (Adv Presbyterian Oliurch — Th > third of special 'Hscourses on Future Life Problems will be delivered by Mf Scott tomorrow evening. Hubjuct, 4l Conditional Immortality," — Adv Wesleyan Church services to morrow — Giaborne 11 and 7, Makaraka 2 30.— Adv,