THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2906, 16 January 1884, Page 3

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

(BT T«LB(JBA»H.;t . Wnintimw, Jan. 15. Mj Clmrlei Plurazyq writes at follows from London to the Sew Zealand Times re the frozen mrat trade .—The following information on the above eubject will, I sm »ure, interest miny ot your readew, ' aatf - m»jl ! p«rhi»p» be of ate to come of (fie comp»nf«i qow m proocit of formation. Sir John Beld, sf Blderalie, who i* now m londob, Hseiug elenriy, m I bare always doiie, that the present charges on 'meat are t?o high, ban entered iota the following arrangement, >i» : —A large atwstner to be built, by. owner* on ;their own acconat, ani famished with three B««Oole«»n machine,' nnAtr oontract with Mr Boid, for rii: coniecattre tnpß from Oamtra, at ibterralg df rii month*,' '."J^L 0 " 1 *>» dipped m Aoguii^oxt, |&,000 tbeep to be t.k.n each trtp and to bd frfMO on board; the rt earn or lying tbiftyiflre dajt^for thi» purpoae and lllteeen daya diaobargmg without extra <ioit. Etiiry .)«fcail. -hu be«a carefully atteiided 1# arid nplnndtd arraogementa bare be«j rtmde for celling the meat on arrival. H. will be tliitribor.ed all orer England and Hootlndd by ft llrm largely eo«ag(d m the Ainericaameat trade, aod who have onmeron* df p6t«. There if BOtewon to doubt their ability to Aitiott cf Che 86,000 aatiafaotorily witbia tho flftrieri ciaya iiUowed. 1 hare iten the coctr»ot, and thooflh not at liberty to ttat<> tb« aotttat a mount payable for freight, I a»y stMi that !.h»Ti» taken out the flghret <«refuUy"u>d lod tnat a* oomptred with the total jeipetiie of freezing and (hipping, io«Bninoe and tall* v>e, tinder the srrangeßenti made' by the Ohjlttohofeh and Donedin Compaoiei, Mr Beid will effect a laving of at loutt Id poi 1 lb, ot 8» per abeep of 721 b weigtiti I niH«t iiak yonr reader* to accept thi» etateoj«nt,from me without proof at pre»«ati bat 1 thick tliote who know me will be prepared t.> iio thi». They will quiUi oadenUnd that there may ba many reawnf why the detuilli of »uob an aiTßO|reiE«nt ihoold only b»' told me m c.on(tderj<e. Of flju'«« the principal laving eff«et»d it tie oj»t oif frwjstDg on fhqre, but, in addition U) r Miii thera i« » difference m the rate 'of frnirtt ia conjuqmnce of employing a- maoh I«im ctpeoalre tewel and girta* her a. full licugo. Thewla alao* T «ry; mtfitrial »*»* ->cfi tbltftdv by'tnwUti^tbt fi*V* v Vht>

, Mr ttor» for q '¥fteen days,' ; rristeaorbf i'nrnrrii IB of thn cost of double handling and repl of co atornt. It is euj to tee the saving of Id p 5. lb may be shown, and yet suoh n rate-, the freight be paid as to be very profitable to lay. atcainer^otting probably about JE4OOOO. ar ned. worked at small expenso. .She will not I but buiji for high «p*epd. bur. wil l 'prob»b!y do Ih >r of voyages m a little over 60 days. Tha owno and are *o tatitrled with their contract that tof understand they are quite ready to huild hag seoond veuel on the tame terms, which is n anawrr to (hose oho will of course declare, i pof the interests of competing cotnpanio, tbi lely it trill be dons a', a loss. Had . authority to do to, I beliove I cool >. at 0000 conolQJe suoh an armngeroer to for a eteamer for Wellington.' 1 and au add I: ion- per sheep sMpptd from there. Ik' ma ion perhaps be said that shipping a large quail een tity m one nhip is a dangerous experiment but it mutt be remembered that there &r cos threo machines ami that the chambors will b Dgs separated | so that, though m one vessel, th ing shipments are really at much divided i> t C v- throe at they would be m separa's shipt He with the grett advantage that m case of aoci ier, dent to one machine, the other two can do tb Irs work. In any case it must be admitted to bi ra{ a bold experiment and deaervin; of juoecss ;ho I 'eel the greatest possible confidence m th< 'ho plan, because it it what I hare sdvoeatoc ie d since my arrival m England. I hare alwnyi he advised the Directors of the Wellington $fcaj lg . Export Company that all the information j ,j s could obtain pointed (o the great economy o rjj. freezing on the ship and sending large oargoet lot l) J special vetselt adapted for the purpose, 'or They, m oommon with the Direatnrs of oa all tho other companies, have differed from me, and a very large capital hs» Ijeon >rs > un k m works. If this new plan provei a successful, it will be found that a great ,{. mistake has been mridr-, arid it would be. well E_ now to consider this point before furl her (, e oapital is sunk m this direction by other companies. It it obvious that it will'ba impossible to submit to a continued low of 6s l 0 per shetp, and th«j company which first •a arranges to carry the meat at the reduced 0 . rate wbioh is now shown to he possible, will fa coroznand the trado. It may perhaps he conSB tidered necessary to wait the result of Mr 3 . R.-id'g Brat cargo bofore following his «*• , n ample, bnfc even if to it would clearly be foolish to invest further capital m shore freezing workf, which may no longer bo rea quired. In urging v.bis new scbemo, I am g aware that lam liable to be again acousod of (j over caution, but I am accustomed tr : th'it, lt and am content to be judged. by the ultimate n result. My object is to do all I oan to w aid m the development of the trade as a whole. I shall, therefore, be glad to give any c assistance m my power lo any company which may decide on making arrangements for a ; special etnamer for WeliingtoD. Tbis m^y be done cither by one of the' existing componies or by a new one formed for the parpoie. In either case', but little c.iHedup capital will be requirad. All that is necessary is a sufficient share list to form a good security on uncalled capital. For the charter the meat oan bs insured and drawn against m the came way as wool. The vesta! can be chartered to load at any port or ports required. I hardly think it necessary now tvo «ay . anything about tb« quality of New Zealand mutton, or of th« certainty of (b«re being a market for it. Th»se points are to teotuely established tbet it may be considered as aluio«t as sife a shipment an wool, though do douht for n timri there will be a considerable fluctuation m value. The system of telling will be gradually improved by experience, and then the market' will become steady. The one important point: to consider it that the expenses of transit must, be kept down to a minimum. At present thofe are to high that. Unless a good price it. obtainable the results are unsatisfactory to shippen. What is ntceawy is to reddee them to a point which will leave a profit, even a low one. This is'what X hope to ficid Mr Reid will mooned m doing. ;