OUR MEAT AT LONDON

Southland Times, Issue 16840, 16 September 1911, Page 6

OUR MEAT AT LONDON

EOW IT IS HANDLED. MR A. W. RUTHERFORD’S DESCRIPTION. (Special to the Times.) CHRISTCHURCH. Sept. 15. In an interview to-day Mr A. W. Rutherford. ex-M.P., who has returned from a trip to England, referring ’ to the frozen meat trade, said : “The carcases receive rough handling on their landing at the London end. They are shot down a chute anyhow on to the wharf : result —broken shanks, pieces of fat gouged out. sometimes an inch deep, and a generally' chipped appearance. Then they are shot down another chute into barges, with equally disastrous results. The. barges are towed up the river and their cargo landed and carted to Smithfield. It has been alleged that the flooring of many’ of the barges is rotten and that dirty’ water slops about .the bottom and there is an unnecessary exposure to sun and rain. This latter statement may be exaggerated ; but there is truth in it. However, notwithstanding the general rough usage, much of the meat makes a presentable appearance on the hooks. The Argentine meat under American trust supervision escapes injury-. Our meat has a flavour that the Argentine meat lacks, and that factor for ns saves the .situation. No control is exercised ships and barges, and there would be a serious difficulty' in breaking down- the present system of landing meat. It might be necessary, to effect this, to refuse cargo to steamers unless their authorities devised a better mode of-.discharging than shooting the meat down chutes, and it might be necessary’ to build a fleet of barges with the crews engaged by and under, the direct control of the shipowners’ representatives. The American meat is landed at Liverpool, trains are in readiness, and that required for immediate use is sent off to Lodon and the northern markets and the balance stored. The important point is that it is handled all the time by’ the Trust’s own men. The outcome is that their meat is put on the market in perfect condition. You realise' this t’o the fullest extent when you see it side by’ side with ours in Smithfleld. Air Shelton, when X left London, was busy discovering what has been a subject of common knowledge for years. No attempt, except impracticable talk; has hitherto been made to remedy’ a well-known evil. Air Shelton has been engaged by men who are in earnest, and to effect their purpose he must be armed with supreme authority to enforce his demands.