MEAT FREEZING COMPANIES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1627, 4 August 1887, Page 2

MEAT FREEZING COMPANIES.

» . . ■ -. ♦ Wellington, Augaafc 3. 7 The annual balance-sheet of the We- * lington Meat Export Oompany reoom--1 mends a dividend of 8 per cent, absorbiog ' £1082, and carrying forward £50 » During the year 50,601 cheep and lambs ■ were frozao, being doable that of the 5 previous year. It haa been found neoes--1 sary to ex'ecd the Company's works. 1 For tho season ending May, 1888, » engagements have been made for freezing i 109,000 sheep, and this number wiil probably be considerably Increased from time to time during the year. The saarolty of shipping space, hitherto such a drawback to the frozen meat industry, it may be hoped la now at an end, the Shaw, ) Savill Company having largely increased ■ I the frozen storage of their vessels, while \ an additional line of steamers has been established. The report continues :— lt la to be regretted that the low prices now ruling In England for frozen meat are likely to reault In a loss to shippers, and some Improvement m prloes is earnestly \ to be desired. In the meantime, it is evident that charges of every description mast be oat down to the lowest possible Iralfc. Duhedin, August 3. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, the report, declaring a dividend of 7 per cent, was adopted, and the retiring Directors were re-eieoted. The Chairman said that the number of carcases frozen at Burnside during the year was 45,373, and at Oamaru 52,874, besides which 9016 sheep had been slaughtered for outside shippers. Phis number did not include 14,000 oarCQB9B stored m readiness for shipment by the Elderelie. The returns received by the shippers daring the year had been most disappointing, as the prices during the whole of that time had been on a lower level than since the commencement of the trade, The net returns during the year, enolosive of skins and fat, have only equalled Id per Ib ; and taking the average skins as worth 2j 61 and the fat at Is, the yield was only 8i 6d per head, which was a large decrease compared with past years. The Directors would do all they oould to meet shippers m the matter of freezing charges.