THE CHRISTCHURCH MEAT COMPANY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 4013, 19 February 1903, Page 4

THE CHRISTCHURCH MEAT COMPANY.

Mr M. C. Orbell, in speaking at the annual meeting of the Christch|irch Meat :Company (reported in our last Issue) said .... .. ■ I look upon this as one of the best reports that • we have had since the company has been established, and I have no doubt that some of y/ou will agree with me, when I express the opinion that I view, especially the reduction of the unrealised consignments as shown by the figures which you have already mentioned, namely, £179,322 to £38,731, the position of the company with {satisfaction.- I think this is a very important feature, and, every endeavour should be made to keep , the ; figures as low as possible. Another feature which I ■view with pleasure is the, introduction of the Reserve Fund. The chairman has already emphasised in his own way the importance of that item, .and I thoroughly endorse every word that he has said. X think it will. be a, surprise, to find, that this company is freezing one-third of the .whole of the output of sheep and lambs of the colony. It comes to me as a great surprise, and I wish to remark, that as a country farmer, X hear what is reported in regard to this' company, and also the neighboring company. .There is a strong feeling/ that the Christchurch Meat Company does not care to undertake freezing on owners’ account but I am glad to be able to stand here and say that this is not so. I am quite certain that this company gives their very best attention to all stock received at the freezing works. No doubt there are farmers who send in: their few sheep occasionally to be killed at any hour of the day that they anticipate, but when you come to consider that the two works between them put through some 10,000 head per day, the farmer cannot expect to have his sheep killed, at a moment’s notice. I am perfectly satisfied that this company studies the interests of owners, and I may say that I have known the company to turn out their own sheep to enable owners to have their stock killed. Yet we hear it dinned into our ears every day of the week that this is not a farmers’ company. We find that this company is practically freezing as many sheep on farmers’ account as the other company, therefore I say that the Christchurch Meat Com pany is a farmers’ company ; and it even goes further, It has studied the farmer in every possible wajfl. It has erected works to give every, possible facility, and it has even lowered the rates for freezing and given a reduction in the consolidated rate of 1 per cent on all charges. I think that it is (necessary that these things should be put before the, farmers. I consider, and I think that you will agree with me, that the Christchurch Meat Company has raised the price of muttop and lamb 25 per cent, during the last ten or twelve years, and not only has increased the price of mutton and lamb, but it has been the means of considerably raising the value of land. I make these remarks because I am living in the country, and so can speak with authority of what is going on, and I hope that publicity will be given tp my remarks. There is another subject : about which I should like to speak. I understand that there is a move-

merit being made by the Government to put a special brand on all. New Zealand meat, and 1 think froin a Canterbury point of, view, this Would be a most objectionable step to take, for this reason. If we lose the Canterbury brand it will be a very serious thing,as you will quite see that it will deprecate the value of Canterbury meat. In the North Island they breed from Romneys and Lincolns, but in Canterbury we use the Leicester, crossbred merinoes and Downs.