Rapid Progress of Meat Industry.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16468, 21 June 1919, Page 1 (Supplement)

Rapid Progress of Meat Industry.

WHAT IS BEING DONE AT SMART ROAD. The Taranaki Farmers’ Meat Company’s works have been designed in conformity with the most modern methods known in relation to the meat freezing industry, and every device for the saving of labor and the lessening of the amount of handling to be done has been or is being incorporated in their equipment. When the slaughter boards are fully manned (16 mutton and five beef butchers) + he output capacity of the works is 1500 sheep and lambs and 100 head of cattle per day The sheep pens divide the mutton slaughter board in two. On either side of the central race are four pens, into which a certain number of sheep are drafted at a time, and two butchers work each pen. On the opposite side of the same floor is the beef slaughter-board. When the carcases have been dressed they are run along by means of the overhead rails to the weighing and grading room, from which they are sent, already ticketed according to quality, into a cooling room, where they hang over night, to allow the natural heat of the body to escape, before being placed in the freezing chamber. When the latter process ha= been completed the carcases are stored in the cool chambers until such time as shipping space allows of their exportation. During the war years the storage question became an acute matter and all the works in New Zealand have had to build additional cool stores, not only for meat but in many cases also for the purpose of holding the Dominion’s dairy produce. In consequence of this, every means for economising space has been utilised, and

during the last year or two what is known as the “telescopic” system has been adopted in relation to mutton and lamb carcases. This consists in cutting the carcase in half- crossways, and inserting the one into the other. In this way fully 25 per cent, of space is gained, and this is a consideration to both works ■' and steamer space. The new stores recently erected at Smart Eoad are three-storied, and are built of reinforced concrete. Each storey is divided into two compartments. The stores are cooled by a large air refrigerating battery of sufficient capacity to permit of the whole block being used in the future for meat storage. The big motordriven fan which creates the air current, takes its power from the New Plymouth Borough supply, and is said to be working thoroughly satisfactorily. It is expected that the works will oraw largely on the Borough supply when more current is available. The top storey, which contains cheese, is capable of holding 20,000 crates at a time, while the two lower stories will store 60,000 uncut carcases of mutton, or one portion could hold, say, 40,000 boxes of butter, while another contained 30,000 freight carcases of mutton, Portable gravity conveyors carry whatever is being stored to the particular bay in the store to which it has been assigned, and an excellent automatic elevator is installed which lifts and discharges crates of cheese or boxes of butter on to other gravity conveyors on the upper stories. This elevator is capable of lifting 600 crates of cheese per hour. The total storage capacity of the works is equal to 170,000 freight carcases of meat, and there is yet room on the company’s property for a further store with a holding capacity of 40,000 carcases. The power plant of the works is very complete, and every provision has been made for meeting emergency circum-

stances. The company has its own suction gas • producer plant, from which is derived the energy required to develop its own supply of electric current. This is done by means of two large Tangye gas engines—one of 280 and the other of 120 h.p. In addition, the works are now linked up with the Borough supply of electricity, and by means of a simple switch, current for the whole of the works lighting can be drawn from either source at any time. The present 65-ton refrigerating engine is being reinforced, in order to meet any emergency in connection with the additional storage, by n 35-ton refrigerator, which will be driven when completed, direct from the Borough electric supply. While on the question of power, the method of holding coal may here be referred to. A large concrete pit has been constructed, capable of storing 300 tons of coal. The lignite coals deteriorate with exposure to the air, and the most effective method of preservation known is to keep them under water, and the company has had its coal-store pit so constructed that the stock can be flooded when in the pit. A large and unfailing water supply is one of the great essentials to the freezing industry, and the company’s supply is drawn from the Mangaone stream, which flows through the property, being propelled all over the works by means of one electric and two steam pumps, the pump-house being situated on the banks of the stream. While dealing with these latest developments of the company’s works it may not be out of place to refer to the byproducts department of the industry, in which there has been a great increase of business during tne past season of two.

These are all vitally related to the prime industry, and form an integral part of what is really a great undertaking. They are for the most part ■ situated below the slaughtering boards from whence the skins and offal are carried away, each to their respective places, by water chutes, four sets of three chutes serving the mutton board—one in each set being for skins, heads, and trotters, and the other offal. At one spot the tripes are dealt with, being thoroughly cleaned and scalded and packed for export. Further along the offal is sorted for the purpose of tallow-making, the success of which greatly depends upon the grading of the raw material. Adjoining this is the platform at which the casings are dealt with. The fellmongery is an important part of the industry. The skins which are delivered by a chute, are put into washingdollies in which they are thoroughly cleaned, and when taken out they are chemically treated in .such a way as to bring the fleece clean away from the pelt. The wool is then put through the big drier, after which it is ready for baling up. The pelts are put through a further cleaning process from which they come out a beautiful white color, and are said to be some of the finest pelts produced. The cattle hides are also treated here, and in order to cope with this part of the business the present pelt house is being greatly enlarged. The building will be of reinforced concrete, and the upper storey will provide the needed extensions for the preserving department.

When the meat which is to be preserved comes to this department it is pickled and scalded, and afterwards goes through a slicing machine. It is then packed in tins and soldered up, and cooked in large retorts under steam pressure. The company also intends developing the meat extract branch of the business.

A completely equipped tinsmith’s shop forms an important part of the works,

being capable of turning out from 900 to 1000 61b tins per day. After cooking the steam vent in the tins is soldered up, the tins are lacquered and labelled, and then packed ready for marketing. The company’s tallow store is capable of holding 1200 casks. This is proving a very successful and profitable branch of the industry. The offal, after being graded, is put into huge digesters, and as the fat is produced it is carried through pipes over to the refiners, where is remains until coming to its proper consistency, when it is run off into the barrels. The company- turns out three grades of tallow for all of which it commands excellent prices.

Finally, that nothing may be wasted, as was the case in the early days of the industry, the residue from the digesters is carried over to the manure works where it passes through a rotary steamjacketed drier, before being stored and bagged.

It can be well imagined that in such a many-sided business, and of the magnitude of that carried on at Smart Road, the demand for general requisites is considerable, and the company therefore has to carry large supplies for its own use. The requisites store is a large one and during war years larger stocks than usual have been carried, the value of the stocks held reaching at times the sum of £16,000.

Additional facilities for the expeditious handling of goods are being provided in the matter of railway siding accommodation. The points of the old aiding have been moved out towards the main line, and a longer sweep given from the original siding to that running alongside the new stores.