SMITHFIELD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 17624, 7 October 1921, Page 8

SMITHFIELD.

THE WORKS CAPACITY

PROGRESSIVE BUILDING SCHEME

I Some fairly extensive alterations land improvements are now being carried out at the Smithfield Works of the Now Zealand Refrigerating Cm The dhimney stock, which is a relic of the old pioneer South Canterbury Works, and is now considered unsuitable, is being taken down and a new smoke stack on improved principles is toeing erected. Alterations are also being carried out to the mutton slaughterhouse which will result in a considerable improvement in working conditions, and when completed will enable a team of 72 slaughtermen to be employed. Smithlield works have oil more than one occasion during rush periods coped with a daily output of up to 6000 sheep and lambs, and, as now equipped, the works will be capable of continuously treating that number without in any way straining the capacity of any of the departments. Extensions are also being carried out to the slaughterhouse at the same company's Bukenri Works, North Otago, where additions are in hand which will provide for nine additional slaughtemeti’s hook’s, providing accommodation for forty slaughtermen at these works.

As now equipped the slaughterboarda of the Smithfield and Pukeuri Works, together with the Pareora works of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Co., have accommodation for no less than 160 slaughtermen, which means that the combined killing capacity of these works is about 15,000 sheep and lambs per day. In round figures therefore a total of two million head of stock could bo put through in au average season of six months. Referenoe to the killing records for the works mentioned shows that for the last three years the average total number of stock treated has toeen a little less than 800,000 sheep and lambs in each season.

The congestion which was experienced at various times during the war period was caused not by insufficient killing and freezing capacity, but by shortage of ships to -carry away the meat, and in order to deal with, these abnormal conditions, large new stores were built during the war period.

111 spite of the scarcity of shipping in the early months of last season, much of this storage was not required, some of the largest buildings remaining empty during the whole period, nor is it likely that they will ever again he used for the purpose for which they were built.