REFRIGERATING COMPANY IN TIMARU.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2770, 9 August 1883, Page 6

REFRIGERATING COMPANY IN TIMARU.

[From the Timajht Hebaxp, July 30.]

The result of Saturday's meeting m connection with the frozen meat trade, is satisfactory as far as it goes. There was a very large attendance, which included a good many men who are seldom seen taking part m any public movement, — a certain indication that the object of the meeting is one directly affecting the material welfare of the district. At the same time the meeting was thoroughly representative of all classes and sections of the community, bearing out the remark of the Chairman, that the question of establishing meat-freezing works at Timaru, ■was of as much importance to the trading interest as to the pastoral and agricultural. The speeches were, not, perhaps, models of close or exhaustive reasoning, but they answered their purpose admirably. The most brilliant oratov could not have achieved a move triumphant success than. Mr Woollcombe and Mr Price did, by their observations m favor of creating a direct trade from Timaru ; for their .Resolution was carried all but unanimously. There was, we believe, but one dissentient, namely, the gentleman who had come from Christchurch to represent the meat-freezing company projected there. The fact is everybody present had quite made up his mind to support a local undertaking and nothing but a local undertaking, and the putting of a Resolution to that effect was little more than a matter of form. As Mr Price somewhat elegantly expressed it, m seconding the Resolution, the people of this district are determined to work on their own bottom. The appointment of a strong and business-like Committee to obtain information and arrange preliminaries for carrying out of the decision of the meeting, followed as a matter o£ course ; and so far, all went well.

At that point, however, a little hitch occurred which disappointed vis not a little. Mr Bristol, with characteristic common sense, proposed that as the meeting unanimously recognised the necessity for establishing a meat-freezing company, and as it would be impossible for the Committee to canvass so many supporters of the scheme again m any reasonable time, a share list should then and there be drawn up, and signed by those present. At first this proposal appeared to be well received, and the Chairman at once prepared to act upon it ; but as soon as he invited signatures to the list, there was an ominous backing out of the door, and several speakers objected rather vehemently to what they declared to be a premature proceeding. What with the attraction afforded by the Salvation Army marching past at the moment, and the evident unwillingness of the promoters of the meat-freezing industry to commit themselves individually, the room was cleared m an astonishingly short space of time ; and Mr Bristol's really valuable suggestion came nigh falling to the ground. We were not surprised to Bear that the gentleman from Christchurch Went off m better spirits than might have been expected, and ventured a pretty confident prediction that " this Timaru affair is going to tumble through." Let us hope that he misapprehends the temperament of the people of South Canterbury, and that what, he took for a feeble shrinking from pecuniary responsibility, was really nothing more than a alight display of rustic bashfulness. Our shepherd kings and merchant princes hesitated to put their names clowni for the big shares which they mean to take, because they did not wish to look like " putting side on." When the arrangements are fairly m order, and the broker calls upon them m an unostentations manner with forms of application, then we shall see the stnff they are made of, and the Christchurch folks will see that the South Canterbury people are not only willing, but able to work on their own bottom. We sincerely hope it may be so, and, j indeed, we have no doubt of it, for the ■ excellent reason that the South Canterbury people cannot do otherwise. They must have meatfreezing works here, and they must have direct shipping if they are to enjoy anything like their due share of the profits of the trade. And if they want those things, they must certainly provide them for themselves, because nobody else is at all likely to help them m the matter. In short, this affair is bound to come all right m time. It cannot be denied, however, that, no matter from what motive, the meeting on Saturday took a turn which tends towards delay. Since it is settled that the thing is to be done, it may just as well be done at once as months hence. If the promoters are smart they may set the Timaru works going m time for the next season for shipping fat stock from here, which, fortunately, exactly fits m with {the season m England when there is the best market for frozen mutton. The longer they wait, at all events, the greater will be the loss to the district from the disadvantages attending the export by Lyttelton or. Dunedin. On these grounds, we think, it is to be regretted that Mr Bristol's suggestion was not fully adopted, and promptly and boldly acted on. It is gratifying to know that after all a good many names, representing a large amount of capital, were put down, and we are only sorry that every one m the room who has any intention of taking shares did" not follow so excellent an example. It is quite true, as was stated by one of the objectors, that those intending to give practical support to the project could not very well say how many shares they would take, until they knew what the price of the shares was to be, and m what sums and at what intervals the capital was to be called np. But there was surely nothing to prevent them from putting down the minimum amount that they will be prepared to invest m shares, when the arrangements shall have been completed. If they had done that, and the amounts had been at all proportionate to the apparent enthusiasm of the meeting, the public both m the district and elsewhere would have been convinced of the genuineness of the movement, and the Committee would have been saved a great deal of time and trouble m finding oat what amount of capital can really be depended on.

We must say, indeed, that nothing Struck us so much at the meeting as the vagueness of the data on which they

were asked to proceed. We expected that m a matter so vitally affecting the pockets of the wealthiest settlers and the best men of business m the district, somebody would have had all the necessary information and particulars cut and dried. Instead of that, nobody seemed to know anything about the cost of meat-freezing works, the number of sheep likely to be forthcoming for export from Timaru, the prospects of the required capital being subscribed here, the most favorable locality for the works, or any of those numerous questions which must be answered before anything definite can be decided on. The only point on which there was no uncertainty is that the people of South Canterbury are determined to work on their own bottom. That undoubtedly is the most important point of all; but some of the other3.we have mentioned are very important too; and the sooner they ai'e satisfactorily settled, the sooner we shall see a direct trade m frozen meat froni Timarn.