THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2790, 31 May 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —It is evident from the reports of the uumerous meetings of farmers held during the last few weeks, in reference to the offers of Messrs Nelson Bios. :ind the Auckland Freezing Company, that the question of transporting live fat stoek, particularly lambs, would be attended with much loss and inconvenience. The raising of lambs for export appears, from what fell at those meetings, to be by far the most profitable for the small fanner, but as lambs are more susceptible to damage, whether driven or trucked, any plan that could be devised to provide against this loss would be hailed with satisfaction. A remedy at once presents itself, namely, by slaughtering stock in the immediate vicinity in which it is raised. This subject has frequently been discussed in Waikato and elsewhere, and the difficulty of obtaining suitable railway accommodation in the shape of cool cars has first to be overcome. I have lately read an article upon this subject of " cool cars," which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, and which will at this time be of interest to your readers.—l am, &c., OHAUI'O. The efficacy of Mr Robert Hudson's arrangements for the conveyance of chilled meat by rail has been subjected to a practical test with complete success. The fifty carcases of mutton that were placed in the refrigerating car at Narandera on Friday morning were brought down by the gwods express, and reached Sydney 'some thirty hours afterwards perfectly dry, and (as the experts who were present at the time declared) in ptitne condition. But the appearance of the meat was not the only evidence of the success of the experiment. Some of it, cooked on the following Monday, proved to be both tender and of excellent flavour. The experiment was conducted under somewhat trying conditions. Wo learn that the butchering and dressing were not done in the best way. The moat was not chilled before being placed in the truck, as it probably would have been had the general arrangements been perfected. The temperature within the truck when it was loaded was about 70 degrees. The presumption is that it would have been reduced before loading in the regular course of business. Notwithstanding the heat of the weather, however, the thermometer stood at 42deg. within the truck when it was opened after the 350 miles

journey. So far, therefore, as concerns the effectiveness of the system, there is abundant reason to be satisfied. . , . If the enterprise is to be successful, it must of course rest upon a sound commercial basis. The cost of slaughtering in the country will have to be compared with that of slaughtering in Sydney. The cost of carrying the chilled meat will have to be set against that of carrying the live animals. In addition [to the charge for carriage there will be the expenditure on ice. A little orer 6cwt. was consumed in the experiment last week; but the truck was only about half-loaded, and probably for other reasons as well as this the consumption on the occasion can hardly be

taken as a basis for business calculations. .... Another important condition affecting the prospects of the undertaking is to he found in the probable large prevention of waste. Fat stock, when driven long distances, or conveyed long distances by rail, deteriorate in quality and lose m weight. There should be fa great many more pounds of meat for sale in Sydney in fifty chilled carcases conveyed from Is T arandera than in fifty sheep of corres--ponding size from the same place discharged from the trucks at Homebush after making the journey alive; and if the meat sells at a fair price, the owners should make a proportionate gain. It is probable that at first there would be more difficulty in the country than in Sydney in disposing profitably of what remained after the carcases had been dispatched, but in the course of time establishments for working up the refuse matter would be found in full play near the country collecting places, and this difficulty would be removed. If the carriers of the chilled meat can make their enterprise pay, and if the owners of the stock can by the country slaughtering system get as good prices as they now receive, _or better, as may possibly be the case, it is further to be considered that they will do so not by inflicting a lops upon the consuming public, but by providing the public with an article more fit for food. It is well known that both cattle and sheep too often arrive in Sydney under tho present system, and are slaughtered in a more or less fevered condition ; and eveu when this is not the fact, the loss of weight above referred to implies too frequently a loss in quality, which the consumer, whatever price be paid, is forced to bear.