FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12615, 18 November 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Mil SiIELTO^'S RE? ORTS. Following are the latSst' reports of. _Vlr. F. J.^Shehoiij, Lpridpri representative Of thtj^New Zealand Producers' Association. The first is dated September £9 . .and states :—

■"Referring to my reiriarks last week "ro letter tb the Society of Meat Impbrtf ers, I enclose complete copy, of^corres-l pondence in connection with! .this, and will keep you posted as to . further suits... In connection -tvi'th tlus I have to?

•flay forwarded letters to . each of the three shipping companies discharging ine&t in London, . viz!* Sliaw, Sitvili, Tyser, and New Zealano" Shipping Company. In order, that you .may lia,ye full Jvuowledgo of the position I .enclose' copy of ', letter I received in 1901 from the late Frozen jVjeat Associaiibn, the pi*.edecessbrsot" the present Society of Meat ImP'o^ers, from which you* Mill see this question of. discharge has been before tberp.lor' th| pai-jji. ten years, 'b,ut . this Society, .like " others, drift into doing nothing unless .pressed into action. '.<_' , I -.also . enclose , copy letter .arid "report "of . Mowatt in . collection wiih the agitation caused by the .few Zealand Committee last year. The Society •appear to" have "bjspn satisfied t'lati eyerytlung.was satisu^ctoiy, and tliat nothing further -;Waa required-., I may -explain that Captain .Mowatt ; is. .a surveyor . and attends, to dairiage claims on behalf of underwriters. With regard to this report, ;i will briefly explain the position ■as ]"/ §nd it. Clauses 1 arid £: No cpnihient. Clauses. 3 arid „4: It is 'necessary to understand °that.. while., these railway waggons, -.vans and, lighter-? are no great •distance from the, jsteamer's side tlie ineat is goaded .Into, them; so sk>wly..and spasmodically ; on account of sortirtg in tho, holds for. brands tliat it frequently takes hpurjs before one truck), van .or lighten is. 10aded. „:...,-, „/ . „ 6r In jfjlMnj." the slipjs^ ip the 'hold ."svjtn. such "V, quantity. as :-4P t0,_50 carcases ' ve*cy -frequently a, .number fpM out.'ii^ the .liQldi^jefore th?, sling-, starts its ';Ugwar'd'",tr£ve^ ,and! dan-jage*: i: When .posing; through hatchway*; j^eq^it^ are, Jjnopkcd orit ■of . tjhe' sling; or* banged against the side, causing further delay, and damage. .- On nfrival .atwhaxf as goon aft the; sling is loosened .tne content^.:* frequently tali off *the .platform all about the wharf, yyam , caiising ' delay.. - and.' danatagß.;, In ioaqiugJ,lvo Blbig_. after the meat^nas. arrived. Oyer the clacked, -."rough and -improper shoots, , the carcases are.-dropped or thrown into<;the slinj^ >r .some.'time&va distance of a few feet, (Spjnefairiies ;as ni&n'y : yards v ; .With ; /electors' the.', car-i-.ases.arO thrown or dropped roughly on to the iron bars that carry the meat up, and when arriving at the top are dragged. off, scratching and tearing bags tut d .skin, and , then roughly dropped or thrown on to. tho shoots,, down which tf hey. travel at; a. rate they never experienced, in theiv Ijfo time, the. shoots working,^.-, a very sharp angle.. In some cases to break. the. fall so as to Save damaging the men, a number of shoots are used on a switch-back system, with the result that the carcases get an extra blow" for each .extra. $hpot they pass over.' . I. am (lescriblnjg.;*o"aly. .what I, see regularly «ach time I . go . to watch > discha'r gin*g. Improvements in the methods employed ;ua certainly, in the interest of the shipowners, as wellaS the cargo.' At the dock, store in., discharging they have a iipecial flat ; platform to* "take the forice "from, the run dowri tlie shoot, . arid have ji specially; provided spring end to take the jar, • from which you ' will * seo .** th'ey understand -, that the sheep, travel' vat •: a yreat rate, but the. people db.not'urfder*•tand that the skins of the sheW- are liivblo to chafe j crack and break" by blows and t friction. I must' admit'that I had no idea such .damage could be done 'by chafing until Mr Lysiiar 'got Mr Cooper I to make the experiment in. our' presence in the Masterton Works, last April, and this fact I am now pressing before those interested as much as 'possible. I hope Air Lysnar will specially seo tliat this point is t • .fully understood by. all those Jiandlirig meat at your end.;. It is a fact tliat you can see" . the shoot marks on

nearly all tho, sheep here, . and. . >vhen these sheep thaw the result is . more ' clear. I am explaining this at -length to show you the. reason of my letter to the Society in connection with slings and/shoots. 7 ...... ..••!,':„ Clauses, 7. and ' 8 : No. comment. CJaues.9 and lC" 1 ; . No .comment, Cla<use 11 : I ,hav.e . .occasionally seen straw on, the.. wl\ar/, .but,peldomw Clause 12:; I have. seen,. the. ten awnings usep", but have, generally seen: meat being .dißchar^d.-withopt-.them, times the awnings. are : spread, oyer the quay, not iisually, . and, when,', they, are they are put up in„the morning, and. not shifted . with, , the vigun.., .1. asked ia , man one. day -if .'.the awjriugs werje put up. to prptect. the men, from the, heat: as they were nofe pro.trectirig theisl>eep.: .At another piacp as soon as I cairie along' the "*> w "\iflg .wss^ sliifte.d, :showing: that the instr^ptions.were'to use therii, but,carelessness, pte vented arid no^ne bothered. CJause.. 13; The-.Y*-eatber. has been continuously fine, since. .1 ;haye been .: here, and -I. am waiting anxiously for a wet .day , to. go, down- and see . what, is done. Surely ;in the wet they would not gO on unloadjiig. ■!, Clauses 14 sn.4 1">; Tips is so arid will be opViated altogether with .'the proposed new store! accommodation, but will be avoided to some extent by the proposals ■ in, my. letter to slnppirig companies today.."., - v . ; .:. ..*.-■ Cjaiiße , 1,6 ; .. Some ' /vans, only are -*.insulated, r,jntend -brlhging this matter before t.ho authorities to insist that at least all meat that goes v irito stora'ge shall be conveyed jn. insulated,., vans. Ojause 17; No' comfaeut. '.; :"

Clauses 18; to 24 : The .combings of 'the holdp, sometimes two feet deep, are not always insulated,, and in siich wealher as. has been experienced this** summer; not a single , barge 'could possibly liave landed ,its cargo without the 'temperature of the upper tiers being affected." 1 Clauses 26 and, 26: Mr Lysnar showed me tho decayed wood he got from a barge and. alsoi a' "letter* frbm owner stating repairs would or ha4 been made, and thus acknowledging the defects. Clause %?\ "No '''comment... '' Clause 28: I saw a barge finish loading receht"y\at 9. a.m., which, I was i*iformed/wo,ul!d arrive, at store at mid* night, Tlie that day . was 88. ."V ',-■.. a.. . . -. ' '"',-■;/ It, is, asCphisliingjto me how^a^mari representing the insurance cohipafties could possibly , gloss,. oyer the bad pbsii tio# pointed out, put it is a' clear .case of lipw difficult it ia ; to.get results in face of conflicting, interests. I intend to make .this .whole statement a lever.-:"" to get, the Society .to work .on ..better lines when I see- .tho proper • oppOrtiuityy; Waggons. : barges. '/ railway . Mucks, -etc-; ' all , require., attention, and I hope .this present. . move, ; with, the. sliipping. coin* panics wiUmejet with sucoess which will make further, steps easy apd that 'this Meat Society '^may .become .-active. Later I hope, to get the; insurance companies' td pay special attention to . the stores f 'iri cpime^tibn .With tlio trade. I understand tiia^^th^Vp is not a store iri London wlie^e pieat is,, at present held under anytlung,Jike fitting condition, .and some are especially bad. • .v , I sincerely hope that the Association will' extend. v its co-operation with thtl Associated North ; Island Freezing Com; pani.es , and be the. means of bringing about •> proper understanding .'.with- all the freezing .companies and all firms connected. wiUi. the. as with united efforts- and- information business. can~!'be* benefited from tire tiriie the' prod liceif lipids .the jstock until if is in the' hands ofthejconspmer.; Mr ff. Wilson and Mr Rhodes, of "Kmarii, called on Tuesday*, and. l. sjp. going with them tb the dockg to-'-i-iy. ai*-*". pope, to assist, to . get the cooperation of Mr Rhodes oh his return to New Zealarid.T^-'Voum faithfuHyr". ■' -it :.,,-.■ "■' ,!. *v\Jt shelton; '

Capjtjjii n Mow.&t-'s report^! dated .14/10/10,' ivas'^s toilbws •-—... ' v ;; / ' f . 'A. „;n.■ .. . .-• dJ^'JtaViiig, hejpjrv;;it^trwcted 'by the Fresiflfint of yo^Sq'cji-fyy to report 'upon tlip < riiie^th'!ods.,of. discharge of, frofteri ,meat in.lvbntfoUi, an4*p^,perally,,pp th-^^qOiidi-tipps';'re&p*sc'tin|: the. handling- of same, I proceeded to the dpeks t various* occasions tp observe "the^methods, and* tlie following reports-is pa^cl-upbn. what; l then saw, * and 'the experience I hava had on this matter for many years. (2) Vessels carrying meat from New Zealand invariably discharge their cargoes in the Victoria and Albert docks.

A"usti;alia also, discharge in .these, 4ocki^ f and. .some line's.ill the _ilbury. cfockS;.. ..;•'., '..' . " \ '! '.'(s) .Dealhig \vith.tl\e Victotia ftiicl A|l)ert' Doclffs, .^frbzeri meat .which Is ilv't'^de'd.fpv''storage,in the <j,ock store is cpnveye'd irom'i. the. ship's side to the s^pre into the D^k Cpnipapy's insulated rail-jvay y^ps, .^hev^ns proceed near to where, the, ship, 'discharges. .'^ (4) In the Albert Dock, the meat is passed .direct ! frorii tlie ship into the van, 'and in "the Victoria Dock, wheeled pri hand trucks from the ship's side to tho i railway!,. 'van, a distance of a few yards} .As soon as three or four vans have beeiv fyieipVup an engine brings them , alpMg. ,fo , the .store.. ... '.'(_) If the gqpds are intended, for storage- in th© up-town Avarehouses, they are almost invariably conveyed there by badges, jn some cases they are conveyed direct by. closed vans.* ( . (6). The manner in which the meat is worked.. out pf , the vessel is that either the '..pleat is, hoisted, rip, into slings cpntainirig,pei^iaps frprn 40 to 50 carcases, and lowered directi overside into craft, or. landed on , the, quay, or, the carcases ,"a.j-p' lifted by an elevator to the ship's deck and subsequently slid down a chutjO .to,,a staging, /alongside, from whence they are placed on hand trucks and wheele^to tho various barges alongside the qjiay, according to the marks. (7) In discharging, as soon as a level is ,ni^de in t tlie square of the . hatchway, £traw is I spread over that space, atid .with some, ships, in addition to the straw, there .. is placed a large canvas shee I t.bn whic^ tlvin .boards are laid for 'the me*o*.to walk upon. In other ships straw only is used, with a wooden tabletop placed v in the square of the hatch. ,|8) TJli's ;ppot, ,viz.,!'the square of. the hatch, ia^the place where the most protection qf- the meat is required, and it ,is here that all the carcases from other parts of tlie ,, hold must be brought and put into, slings or elevators as the case may be. ,:..,-, -.; „ „ , . ,(9); -Ihe. -men employed in the holds nave sacking wound round their boots ,^nd legs, which serves the double purpose of .keeping tho meat clean and the m,ens' v legs ajjd.-- feet warm. The fact that it acts ., in tlie latter capacity is a sufficient 'guarantee that men, in their own .interest, will not. work in tho hold without .^hat protection. „, 0-Q) As^-the , work proceeds it is of course necessary for men fo walk . on some the cloth-covered carcases to a certain extent, but as ■ far -as" possible this is avoided by having small chutes in the hold, whereby parcases can be slid from their stowage to the 'hatchway to be put in the slings, etc.; and this* avoids the continual walking over thetn, which ..would, other wise occur.

(11) When the carcases are landed on tlie quay in. slings, straw is spread over that part of the quay where they are landed.

(12) The regular lines from Now Zealand and Australia are all fitted with tent-shaped., awnings, which are . erected over the hatchway, so as' to protect the carcases stowed ' imniediately under the -hatch from the sun and rain, and there are two New Zealand companies who, in addition to that, spread awnings over the; quay, or over the barges, so, as to further protect the meat -(after* leaving the. ship's slings) from exposure to tho sun's raysJ

A (13*. So lon-gas the weather keeps 'drv everything seeri*i_ tb.keep in, good order, but you ; will' qjtite .appreciate that "-when the weather bo^jorties showeij it'M^'^vove .■difficult ' to protect the'sO* carcases, irom dariiage than it 'is in "the dry weather. " (14) As-ybu.are aware, vessels from New Zealand 'and Australia lpad their meat' at yarlbus ports; from many ship'p'e'rs atea'ejh' pbJjt,' with' the. result, that 'fill' 'the 'various marks . get iritermiiigled ih''fhe stpwage, and these shipments are ■fur'^her' subdivided by being sold in v" dj^yirig parcels^ to many buyers, each Ifo^er having^t'to right; to store his pur!cha'se at, whichever store he chooses to *sel«|£t. The ..result of this is that when the, meat -i^uritoadecl each pm-chase has Ho be delivered to the particular "conveyance' sent .there on behalf of, the various purchasers. (151 Owmjf to the iiuniber and inter•mingliiig of the mark? in the stowage on, the vessel, 5 . deliveries can generally b.e ,only made, pieceirieal, and it is at this point, where most of tho damages arise, as Isvill'show later on when deal ing with baj-cge|. . . . . ; (16) Conveyances. — Railway and other "Y^ns^ used , for the conveyance of meat are insulated, They can carry from 150 to 20P .carcases, according to size. When, used they are placed as near the discharging vessel as circumstances per.mit, and if there is no delay-awaiting for marks-^-during . the loading up, the> deliver their meat at the store in a hard, frozen condition-.

(17) Barges.— Most of the meat is unloaded into, barges. All the barges formerly employed for the conveyance of ■meat were constructed of wood, but' within tho last few years iron barges have been insulated' foi- • this'*' purpose,' and have given every satisfaction, with the.. result 'that barge-owners in future prefer to substitute iron for wood as eir-curnstances-arise.

, - (18) The- wooden barges are irisulated under the -deck and down the sides to below the -water-line. Tlie hatches are all insulated, '_hd these' hatches arc covered. 'with tarpaulin blankets. The barges are periodically whitewashed out or: painted. V, * (19) Tlie iron barges, bf course, have their insulation right down, the whole depth of side, which insulation is of a more -sulistaritial char'Scter than that reqiiired fbtf.: wooden, barges, as you. Avill 4nite appreciate, the thickness of wood used in the construction, of wooden barges is in itsolf fairly gobd insulation. ''•'■.. • •

» (20) Those barges -can carry frorii 1000- to, about 2^oo carcases,, and the moat is kept hard'' siniply through the cold, existing" in the carcases when de- ! liVered • from the ship. - (21) When a barge can be loaded up quickly,, without any delay looking for marks, the carcases can' keep Jiard . for a, long .period of time, but when Only small quantities can be delivered at different' inter-vals;- 9'f *' time*, there is not sufficient, voluble Vof cold *ih the few tliat may b-Siput On.bOard'the. bargb' to "keep" them -suffioiehtly hs,rd: (when the dispharjgO takes 'place in the summer months)'*, With the result, that they becotrie : v softV It - also; frequently happens that; oarges liave to prpcee_ to their destination ' only '-"partially laden, owing to the di*mc***_ty' hi finding proper rimrks. (22) This delay, caused, by. the difficulty of finding marks, is undoubtedly the most fertile source- of damage experienced in the trade "; - . ; "(23) With' regard to the efficiency of the insulation in, barges, it may interest ybu' to know that ?I have on more than I 6iie "ocdasibrt te'sted thei jf' efficiency by " thermometers^ ' that is to 'say, I have j placed' theripometers in various parts Of 'the -'craft; before and. during, loading, [ hatched' ' and*"' ' taken temperature's at time -of discharge at the up : river store, and I have found * that with an atmospheric temperature of 75 degrees Fahr. the meat husbeeri landed in "*_"erfe,(jt "order''at its destination, ' the temperature not having rise,}! beyond 26. degi'ees on the top tier, with- dbwn io" 19 degrees in the /Jo^v.cr ; tiers. ,'At the time of these experiments . there had been no delay in Joao" ing tho craft. , ,->s*■")■ Yw .■will;.<lraw frojn that that the weak, spot, is always' at the top, which is p*ltp9se,4 to ,,atnibspheri9 Influences ifxir • "ng \he^^ 'whb)[e^..time of loading, . an<F to counteract. .'... a iiy . ! effect . bf '. the higher ienip!pra£ure •the^re,'! some years ago sug.. gestetl!, tb- ail,, li^h*ier*men-, that, it; would be a^adyaritage^if!,' ,in loading a barge, thp j top tier was^towi-^.vyilh tjie back upwards. 'Ibis giy^. the, thick part 'of the m*^ to tlie <mp*3t. exposed positiop, whipJi^wolilU; bb: more able to resist the warm air than! ,tho thin . flank. .. (25) ,.*1 liay'e .been on board insulated barges on- huridi-eds' of occasions, and ; in all. my exppri-jnpp peyeiv «ny any cock; reaches, ftuigas^-or.; 1 dirt, or anything otherwise ,'opject)ona\)le- jn, ; .?ny of them. $6) ! Bilge -watej*; js ...presept,. in all barges,! wn,e ther jus jilated.. or uninsulated, and- I dp not . suppose there, is a barge or ship afipat,, cither in this or any other country which does not have bilge >vater in the Umbers. The fact pf . its presence in the limbers of barges curry ■. j utg frozen meat in no way prejudices) the meat. As the barge owner is responsible for the safe carriage Of meat, in bo far as the seaworthiness of his vessel is concerned, he would be made re-' sponsible for any damage arising

thrOugli.. the causes abbyve stated. , Consequently iii his own huerejst he ''would take care that water never accumulated to the extent of wetting, the meat in the craft. , .'.,., "....' -.- . *(!27) The, distance . from the Gallums entrance of tlie Albert Dock to the upriver stores is under ten miles, and from the Victoria. Dock entrance' seven miles. (28) Barges, leave the docks as soon as tho.vtidal gates are opened, and are towed .. up . tlie rivet -by steam tugs from the docks to. the cold stores on the flood tide* the, time, occupied -in making the jounley from the Victoria or Albert Docks being about two hours. Enclosures, with Mr Shelton's report were as follows : — , .... .. From the Incorporated Society of Meat Importers, dated September 27, stating that -Mr Shelton's observations vith regard to the present unsatisfactory use of shoots, slings and straw had been forwardqd, tq, the ;Now Zealand f hipping companies for.their views on the matter. From the London representative of the Associated North .Island Freezing Companies of New Zealand,- 5 West Smithfield, September 25, to the secie-. tai'y "Incorporated Society of Meat Importers: "Dear sir,— Mr Shelton, reprc senting tho New Zealand Producers' Association, has favored me with a ; copy of the lettor he is addressing to your society on points connected -with /.lie discharge of frozen meat from steamers in tho port of, London. y- I wish to be permitted to endorse his recommenlation of, the use .of slings, in preferonco to other methods of landing, witll tbe pioviso that not more than 20 to Z0 sheep or lambs should be put in a sling. V. ith this number the sling is manageable, apd. when it rests on the platform alongside there, is not an unweildly mountain of carcases to tumble about. I t'o not believe that anything is. gained \i sf eed oi*... economy, by oyer-loading the s.iiigs, and certainly considerable damage is caused by tlio practice.- Mr Shelton's suggestion of, some- form of matti*esses to take tho place of the straw, -which is used to protect the tier trodden over by the workers, is so good that I do not doubt it will commend itself to shipowners at ( once. I" beg your Society's consideration" of these proposals, which if put before the' shippirig 'ompanios Syith tho weight' of your approval will dmib'tless 7bo Adopted.— "Yours aithfully (Signed) W> V. Robinson." From Mr Sheltori to shipping companies, dated SeptnieW 29: — "Ref erring to letter sent .Vou yesterday by -.the Incorporated §oceity ""•"Of Meat Importers, I would ask'^your consideration to the following further sugge&tibfis : Instead cf sorting ;;in 'hold meat mig^it be loaded cdtitiriubiisly ' into slingS, ] which could be landed bn trolleys W the wharf: instead of oil platfofms ak'&t present. The loa'ded trolley containing the sling could be wheeled inside shed on wharf, v. here meat could be sorted, and then removed from stacks to lighters," waggons, hu.ccs, etc., and so give continuous loading to •sucli lighteVs,' waggons, etc. In this v.-iy the meat; covered with the" 'slinks iced riot" "be exposed to. the atmosphere f.-<c-pt uhder.coVer'. The ship, having c< ntT-iu-ousdischaTgc/Would get the work done quicker' andj' with' less men "employed in the hbld. LVsS truck-men' would bo roqiured'', pn the wharf, arid lighters, vaggpns,"etciV "would' get quicker desp-itch. Trusting-' these 'matters will receivo ytin.favora"bTe attention, to tho general improvehient of "the trade." .;, A" fyii'ther 'report from Mr Shelton, dated "October 6th", to the secvetavy Pvoducers'"As'sbciation, Weilingto'n, states: "On Monday I went to Southampton to inspect their accbriimodation for st-'-am-§rs, frozen produce and general tr.ij;o, ari^ was* much pleased j with what 1 saw there." Although 1 don't consider their shipping arid storing facilities equal to what I hopp to : see' at the South Dock here, if I succeed in getting the'P.L.A. to do .tliQ w.orlc,' the Southampton a'rrangeiriejits are ahead, of those a-f Bustol, Livetpobl or Manchester, each of \'hich are infinitely mibre suitable for tho ti„de thart is the accbriimodation at present at" London, i,n addition to which their chargesi are. Bs per tbn lower, a joint I intend to forcibly use with the, P. LA. ! "On" Wedriesajiy I called at the'l'oitof London Authority, and found their principal officials still away for the holidays, and they return, to business next week, and I have arranged a meeting with them. I , understand that the first business cpmniitteo meeting since their j letted to me of 13th July takes '_. lace on lsth October, when I shall m»kc special efforts to get their attention. "Last month I secured from iho Init-i ed States Senate a copy of evidence taken beftu-o a committee on cold stor-: age, and as tjio evidence of Dr. Richard-* sou on : the- h a n,4|i"^g .frozen beef id so importkiit I'* have made an extract of .same and handed^ a, f copy. to. .the! edifor'pf the Meiftt Trades' journal for pulilicatibij. Swifts" pe.bple are not in, the. habnV o f ' itiaking .. uip'eliabie slated mer^.si, aud'.'if tj^O facts, attested ..are, pt(3ved by bdtchers here the position o£] frpzeiv, beef .shpulcl improve. Everyone cV^inefeted . With\the trade Here 'asserts tltatj frozen beef will weep- on thawing,' and this \is piiej o'f the big objections to' frozen beef; a'gaipst .chHled. "Swifts' people freeze t^eir. beef '-a,s quickjy as possible ','a.ftei- killing,, anc[ wheh^ thawing,<jlo...this! stts slpwly as possible, with the. result ?1 tjtey, s^y,';it',is, in < very, way as i .as. J fresh;killed l . beef in. condi-' tibn,, a"pp'eaTance , ,an.d , .'quality. ; this is> sq, ."Jvozeh, beef .^hp*u|4(f,b!e^prefei;jred .to c!iillec"j. as,, it can ' remain '; on hajiid ,so much' loug^rrjf required . than chilled,' and bacteria 'wi|l not penetrate meat at a , toriiper.atbre7 bf ..,-15. wljep..it will do sp' at,aj't^mpera,tur4t ahbve th|s.^ ''r'haye'^s.How.n,* this', .'statenjeut,,', of which I enclose .'a copy,- to several well-hi'jtq%e/l'.J^en,,-in,.','the, trade here, and • they £ay *ii spmethinjg altogether -now tV them^,' "H(,t'iey have! been in the h^bit of. .s^eiiij^jbejsf. quickly thawed r 'whereas witn_the'inforniation given by Dr. R'chardabii"they", reckon if his statements are correct the beef should be ke_pt in a cool place, -where it should take about 24 hours to thaw out. The best way I have heard f pi-* thawing Irozen i. **ii. is to hai'ig it in' as . cool .a place' as corive;iient above j-j, temperature of 32 deg.' covered with'a bftg jOi-'a, blanket, both to keep thenjigat -..au^ to *orpvoi)t condensatipn pn. to tjie jpejjt.',; '. ."' *'I' hope l|iis*s,tatemeriV ( may receive faii;;tviaX^y thp'tr^de, here,, and shpuld like' thy.'imorritation copveyed to -the NoHh;Tfila t iid freezing cp*(np^hics in, Jj'ew Zeafeim."_ whp! handle' m"pst. of the Itjeef o(;tp'e,. JJpn^nipn,!,,an4!.as^; 'them, tp-.test the .question," "For this purpose 'J .'havt writtcgi the- wl'psed 'letters to Mr-K'n-toss White (%piei^:]Vlr'.Wi Nelson (Toirioana) ( Alr rf Ewe'n 'Camphell (Wanganui^, •^•rofir^-'.j Fteezfrig' Co,, (Tokomaru. Bay), W % '-%" .tGisboi^ej,'"Mr, W. *G. Fpstor CY7ellij ?^tohJ, Mr.W r H. !»li)lwaid (^Vellirigton) jyid. Mij Cooper (Masterton), ap!d leave .'it, for the decision, of the'Assocnitioji jAvhother ,they, be, forwarded or , *Ofc..,',-V:. "',- -,' ••': ., ;.!'■--'■' A BJvidenco 'p,*^ Dr., Ricliardsonj chief chiemist for .yS"vi;ift arid Co v , given 'before «<»rnmittee Ilinted' States; Senate, Wm_.li-' injj'tb'j-i, (in , "luila, , 17th,, Wyl, :-- 1 ,. , have Worked on" T 'cold sf bpa^V or,'.ra,tJiev freezei inoht iii . pargculat-,*. 5JP90 . 1904^ \Ve desired to! ikw.ow „ the ( „ exact cpnditipii -. of niosdo, .ri.iisculai-; tissue, in a frp^n c*ghd\%Vh , belying ,'th?t such „infoj*matipn wb«.fd Biv.% > us.jrup^jrfc^nt data • m\ tlie subject. „Muscvwv T . -tissues .c^hsi"".^. of ".cells whM ai^e called ih& ntijXcle, fib-ejDs i , tlmy. hayoa" very slight di4m,#er,. about QiiJ3 ;i !five-hundre<j*_hr, of an in^h^Jiiid' their. length is,. considerable, from t^r.ee-qiiarters . pf.' an '. iricli ,{o an j p.ch , ai-id. a . hal*[., v ' These yj fibros7 contain tjip v-jrioas' .cleni^nts, -^an.d, , sutjstarioes wl"MCpci;fbrm ...pe fiiriqti-io.ns 61 the muScJjßs. ; They have, of course, a. typical m.>cv,6scpplc structure^ but <yhat 'uterests »s„ more ..-particularly, is their' chemi -al nature. '

When such a tissue hi placed in the freezer, tlip. walqi: yjhiah is. conU*nod within ' the fibrest does not* freeze within the fibres, but freezes outside of the fibres, arid tho -"first I 'Avater that feezes out fi'ee*/.Q» iij a pure -'condition. In other words, it fOrms, a "l"."i"i, lq,yer of ice around , each' .individual', fibre or gni.p of fibres. ,As the freezing,, progr imps tlic'sp tbiu layers, of ice, surrounding tho individual' fibres or .groups "pf fibre's in[•l'os.se; in thicknoss, and! as- they incrr;-._.0 ill "hicknpss haturdlly the fihres a-c- contracted, are forced.. together into sjnailcr bulls by tlie freezing process. . Ip the final frozen condition, if tho njuscuiar | issue is examined under ' tlio riiic'i'oscbpe, it presents a very different appearance from tho original muscular tissue. Instead of finding tho fibres adjacent . to one another or separated only_by.a Title

connective tissue, we find them entiru'v isolated either individually, or by groups by regions of ice. .Iti other words, the organic substance has bceit forced riil.b a contracted form and remains ' i tho meat isolated by rolid walls of "ce.. In one aspect of the case, therefore, the freezing process is a. drying process, it is a desiccating process, because the substances within the fibres in a frozen .condition contain' very little water. '! be fibres are in a, dry condition, an4 these fibres are surrounded by the, water frozen solid as ice. When rriuscular tissues fre thawed, the reverse action takes piece. The ice as it thaws is reabsorbed ii to the muscular tiss 116 !,"" 0 that, ultima ?,oiy if the thawing is carried out moderatoly slowly ,tlie tissue assumes its ■r-'i/iml condition ahd the original appearance, provided the thawing is done slowly. If thawing is. , carried out rapidly, ihe individual tissues. do not .quite come back to. their, original appearance. The cells are practically refilled, there are sligl.t diffeience observable under tho mi-jo scope. , ' . .- • Tho composition has not been '"handed by. the process., There was no changing, no cheinical change in the fluid fil!'n;_ of the cells between the time' it *•* *us forced out by the freezing and the tune it was reinstated by the thawing. When the. thawing is rapid the ce;ls themselves do not come quite back to their original position. They have btcn distorted by the frozen process and tiiey do not come quite back into, contact again. There may be little spaces left between them . which were occupied by the ice in the frozen condition. Some of the -fluid would drip out of the meat, but with slow thawing that does not oc-j cur. The ice which- has. come out of the cells lies adjacent to .the .cells, and so far as could be ascertained the same water would go back into the same cells. You would have to split hairs lo say anything different from, that. We have investigated the possibility of the penetration of bacteria into mcr.t, of their growth and development in' meat in- the frozen condition, and have made various studies of frozen tissues with a view tp ascertaining how good a medium such frozen tissues would be for the development of ' bacteria. We found that when fatty materials were put "ltd the freezer, all the ordinary changes which occur in the storage of fats ceased, t or if they continued it was not possible j by chemical means to detect these changes. In other words, they were so slight as to be negligible. , The. minimum, age of beef which we have examined was two days, and our principal experiments continued up to two years. Wo have, however, in other cases and in a fewer number, of -experiments .continued, the . work up. to three years, and in ' still . fewer cases up to six years. The gross appearance of frozen meat is never different from the gross appearance of the fresh meat. The exterior surface has the same appearance, it has the samo texture and color.

The beef was just as wholesome and just as palatable at the end of the longest period as it was priginaljy. We had not reached tho. limit of tlie possibiltiy of freezing in storage. There is absolutely no known limit if j-voperly kept in cold storage.' All. our experiments were carried out at . 15 deg. or below. ; The highest temperature we use in freezing meat is 15 deg. . Tho conditions which favor tho oxidation of the fat r by tho air arc heat and light, particularly sunlight. In the freezer we have the opposite .of theso conditions; wo have low temperatures and the absence of sunlight, being lighted by artificial' light, which is ineffective. , - - '