THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2770, 9 August 1883, Page 5

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

A number of stockowners assembled at the Ship Hotel on Saturday afternoon, m response to a circular invitation, to meet Mr T. Acland, one of the brokers of the Chriatchurch Meat and Produce Freezing Company, whose mission was to seek for support to that Company among South Canterbury stockowners and others. There was not so large a meeting as might have been anticipated, considering tho importance of the subject t> be discussed, a possible roason being, it wub suggested, that a feeling prevailed that thero is room for an entirely independent company of the kind m South Canterbury. Thero were about a dozen present, among them being Mesirs M. Studbolmo, E. Elworthy, T. H. Wigley, H. Ford, A. Grant, — Carter, A. Pigeon, J. McLaren and A. W. Wright. Mr M. Studholme introduced Mr Acland to the meeting.

Mr Acland said ho had invited them to meet him to hear the views of tho provisional directors of the Ohristchurch Meat Freezing Company. Tbe idea was that there was plenty of room for a second company m Canterbury, without coming into opposition with tha present company now freezing at Belfast. The surplus sheop m the provincial district must be at tbe very least 300,000; tho more natural increase would show that by any sort of calculation. Tho questions wore whether it would be advisable to start a second company, and if so what quantity of machinery should be gone m for. I'ho existing company could freeze 250 a duy, and if a new company put up machinery to freeze double that, or 500 a day, or 12,000 a month, tho machinery, slaughterhouses, yards and stores, everything except land required, would cost £13,000. Works on a much smallor scale— to freeze 100 sheep a day and store 2500 — could be fitted up for about £3500. There were plenty of sites offered, two m He&thcote, near the tunnel, and one close to tbe Addiiigton station, but the last was not considered at all a suitable place, the local live stock market being there. Tho estimates he had given were those of the engineer, Mr Haßlam, whoso machines were found to be thoroughly reliable. Every boat fitted with Haslam's machines had landed its cargo m good order, all tho failures or partial failures had been m boats fitted with other machinos. He hoped to secure the support of t?outh Canterbury stock-owners, for it would not answer to make it merely a merchant's company. Haslnm's people were prepared to take shores if tht-ir machinery was ÜBed. There did not seem a probability of making an independent company down hero answer, because vessels could not load with meat altogether ; they must have wool or grain, and to be ablo to make •uro of bottoms, any freezing ooinpany here must be prepared to ebip at Lyttelton. The idea of tha Ohristchuroh meeting was that South Canterbury being the centre of tbe pastoral industry, it would pay to have a branoh freezing establishment down here. Trucking live sheep to port would not answer; it had not been a success m supplying tho local markets at Christchurch or Dunedin, tbe sheep got too much knocked about. One idea was that there should be a number of slaughtering placos, and the carcases sent to the freezing establishment m special cars. The carcases bad to go through a long process of cooling bofore they were- frozen or they would mildew, and that cooling oould be dono just as well m transit as m store. The cost of Btich slaughtering places he could not. say, but the capital proposed to be raised would havo a margin of seven or eight thousand to como and go upon for such purposes. It was proposed to take full power m forming tho company, as to the nature of their operations, that is to say, to freeze on owner*' account, or to buy sheep and export on account of the Company as circumstances required. Large stockowners would probably prefer to ship on their own account, while it would suit small producers better to sell their sheop right out to the Company. Mr Elworthy said the meeting were obliged to Mr Aoland for coming down and stating his views on the subject to them. He thought, however, the time- bad arrived for them to consider whether they oould not start a Freezing Company on their acoount. They had now a splendid vessel, tbe Bangitikei lying m port, and it would be - easy to get others like her with freezing apparatus on board. He bad been to the Belfast workß, and was muoh pleased with what he saw there, but there was a great risk of loss m sending live stock so far ; there was a considerable percentage of bruised and damaged sheep. Tbe carcases should certainly be frozen here, and it was possible that it would do to send them 'to Lyttelton m refrigerating cars, but it would be as well to see if they could not send away their frozen produce from their own port. Mr Aoland considered there was this danger m starting small companies, that every place would want one of its own. If Timaru started one, Ashburton and Oam'aru would each want their own, and all three might find themselves m difficulties whon it came to securing vessels. As to sending the meat Homo m sailing vessels, everything pointed to the use of large ocean-going steamers for this trade.

Mr A. W. Wright said, m favor of local shipment, that it cost Is 8d to Is 9d per sheep to send them to Chriitchurcb.

Mr Elworthy : Would your Company be prepared to fix their chief establishment at . Timaru?

Mr Acland could not say, but ho would be glad to place any suoh question before tbe provisional directors. Perhaps it would be better if two gentlemen oould go up to Ohristohurch, when he would undertake to get a meeting of the provisional directors to meet them and discuss matters. A good many South Canterbury settlers had taken shares m the Company — the names of Mr Parker, Mr Bhodes, Mr Walker, and Mr Harper, who had a number of clients m South Canterbury, appeared m the list of provisional directors. He was afraid that a number of small independent companies would cut each other's throats, but there could be no objection to a number of freezing establishments so long as they were under one control. It would bo a pity to lose the strength that would be gained by north and south joining together. Mr Wigley was inclined to concur with Mr Elworthy that Timaru should be made tbe centre, as the' bulk of the stook was m South Canterbury. Mr Elworthy auggeited that thoio present

should put down how many shares they would be prepa r ed to take, provided that Timaru was made tho base of operations. No great i»i(jortaiica could, however, be attaohed to tho Ggnreß, as there were co few present. Mr Acland said if Timaru wero mode the centre, tliey must bo prepared to ship either here or at Lyttelton. They could not rely upon getting bottoms hero. Mr McLaren suggested that a deputation should wait upon the Directors and ace how many shares they would require to be taken up m South Canterbury m order to secure.the works being placed at Timaru. Mr Acland pointed out that if the bulk of the Ehares were taken up here, the Christchurch people could be out-voted on that or any other point.

Mr Elworthy then suggested that es the meeting was co small, and not a representative one, it would bo belter to call a second, and that m tho meantime a rough canvass be made of tho district, to see how much support the Christohurch Freezing Company, and also how much a local company would meet with.

This was agreed to and a meeting fixed for that day fortnight, Mr Acland promising to como down again to further explain tbe views of the Company ho represents.

Tho meeting then terminated