CHEESE SHORTAGE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 881, 6 December 1916, Page 10

CHEESE SHORTAGE.

POSITION AT WE PORT, ADDITION A L ACCOM M 01) AT lON AUTHORISED. Tile Lyttelton Harbour Board decided this morning to proceed immediately with the titling of a cooi r ing installation in its emergency cheese stores at the port, in order to cope with the glut that has arisen in consequence, of the extraordinary accumulation of cheese awaiting shipment. The secretary (Mr Cyrus Williams) in bringing the mailer before the hoard, said that considerable di.Ticulty was likely to arise in the near future owing to lack of storage^accommodation. Shippers of cheese had been advised that (he cool stores were full, and that all cheese received while that state of affairs existed would have to he stored in other places, the temperature oi which could not he guaranteed. !i was for the board to say whether ii would spend £BOO, or thereabouts, in insulating these additional stores. Of course it was no affair of the board’s if cheese did deteriorate, although he did not think that the risks would be very great. Wellington had. last year, fitted up a large store with no cooling apparatus provided, but this, he understood, had proved unsatisfactory. Cheese should be kept at a temperature of 55, but in uninsulated buildings the temperature was likely to rise to 75 or 80 Accommodation for about 4000 case.' could he stored in the proposed additional sheds. Mr Hugo Fricdlander said that there was urgent necessity for additional storage facilities. Yen little shipping was available, and, it consequence, storage had to be resorted to. If something were nol soon done there was a possibility that exports would drift to olhei ports. Mr Kaye moved that the engineer be instructed to get the work done. Mr J. J. Graham thought it a pity that a scheme involving the expenditure of upwards of £IOOO should have been sprung upon the meeting without any estimate of the possibh revenue being furnished. He was opposed to the board’s providing facilities whereby cheese could bt kept from the people. The chairman (Mr M. J. Miller) considered that the time had arrived for the making of some such pro vision. If the matter were not proceeded with soon the season woult be lost. In reply to Mr Scott, the secretary said that a site for new stores hat been marked off in anticipation oi alterations to the railway. Hi doubted however, if the Boarc would be prepared to shift £14,00( worth of machinery and plant whei that occasion arose. In reply to Mi Graham he said that the cool store: never did pay, nor could he give am assurance that they would ever be i profit-making concern. Mr H. F. Nicoll said that, consider ing that many men had made for tunes out of cold storage venture; he was surprised to hear the sc cicty’s opinion that the board’s store were never likely to pay. Mr Williams, in reply to this, sai that the concern was much too smal while the cost of handling was ver heavy. i Afier some further discussion th motion was carried.