NORTH BRITISH FREEZING COMPANY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 930, 24 September 1910, Page 20

NORTH BRITISH FREEZING COMPANY.

.: - 'An early pioneer m .the!meat freezing 1 industry in ■ Hawke's -Bay .-'was Mr. W. ■ Xmross White, to whose; activity was duo tho foundation .of . the North Brir f tish and Hawke's 'Bay Freezing Company a quarter of i century igo If .the. North British • Company was not ; actually the first in the field, it was not • far behind, and' it has throughout its ■•/career handled-a large .proportion of ; the stock exported fiom tho province f ; * The : comnany's works--are- at. Port Ahunr , Napier, and extend over an area of -five;acres. vThey are. convem- . ently situated .-by tho- water's ..edge • on .the western shore of tho entranco ■ to .tho port; and the; arrangements' for . .transporting, the frozen-meat out to the • steamers m the bay are'unique. .Tho, company ha two prnate wharves of it own, one immediately out ido cach of . its cold: stores. -- -The- lighters' are .made fast to the e, a chuto is hxed direct to l - ;■ the-lighter. from the cold store which is( being drawn upon, and tho meat 1 passed out and stowed below m quick timo, .-••■ and with a mimmum-of handling. The' only improvement on thistairangement -would-be to shoot, -:tho•- mutton idirectinto -the ocean -.steamers, from-. the 'coldstore, an ideal which no* 1 freezing work in 'New : Zealand . yet succeeded''in: .. achieving, the North British system, • however, coming-nearest to it. -. A Novel Arransemcnt. Tie North Briti h works are also notable 111 another respect. .. They are two freezing works ; rolledi-into/onei' 1 and. tho -scheme adopted lia teen o capitally planned out as to give the cota„v ,pany all the advantages ; of--having -aduplicate works 111 ctso of hurt or ■.. breakdown without any of the disadvan- , .-.r.tages.. .ofdecentrahsation.v; v There' vaie two centres fXiin which everything radi- > ates —the boiler house and the weigh mg scalcs m the slaughter-house South of the boiler-house is J one engrneroom fitted with a COj plant, which refrigerates the southern freezing chamber and cold store On tho other side of the :boiler-house .the. 1 .visitor -is surprised to find a big cold air machine .. This, isconnected v with'.- the /'northern' • freezing.plant of almost equal size and capacity to of the south The i and .the.-.two engine-rooms are of substantial construction, and tho : whole extent of.them separates tho two .v. cold: stores.; TJi& slaughter-house, with . -« accommoda-bon-.v' for-wtwenty - slaughter- . ■.. men,. li6S behind thouorthern" engineToom At its southern end, 1 at a point almost cqui-distant. between' tho cold ■ - 6tores. is-, the. grading stand. Tlie' car-' ' casses, after being dressed, are passed . along-tho rails to the Hutcheson auto- .. matic scale,-which deducfe six per;cent; ( off tho weight as intelligently and much more accurately than tho average hu:man, being would do tho; calculating. This six per cent, represents the differ- .- ence between, .the weight,of the ,carcass when. 1 it leaves. :the;''. slaughtermaj!:'s ' [.-hands aad. the ' weight • after.' freezing ; ' [ takes place'iV JusibeyoM the scale are ; , two :little pieces !of metal,three or -four ohel'ofe -fchemSdownj' • ' ; 'j .tlio stream' of. carcasses l is ntn off into ' southern, cooling room: and. store. .With ;, tho other - down,' the carcasses . 0 . cooler and freezer.. ; ' ? , Safeguard Against Breakdowns. • .'.-It will tiiu's be seen.:that the works : .'aie-ias invulnerable against fire and - as ; it is -possible :, to havo .. tliem. There is,. moreover, a complete • fire : service plant -capablo" of delivenng 2000:.. of'.:water i; a. ; minute at, a ..pressure of i3oolbs.' to tlie square incli. , pressure ;'iof i t>heJ;Napief municipal ■ - water supply -is about 1501bs. . to the 6quare incli.' Mains .run all round: tho ' various;buildings and tho fittings'are ; ''so. designed'that tlie. borough fire bri- ; : gade's . hydrants v and • hose can be ." coupled aon ; straight away in case of emergency. From-these details'it will:he gathered : ;::,thai?a- : prefty, .considerable ,'amouhtVof thought has .been given to the:;laying' ; .out of, the .'North British plant. The ". works have an abundant supply of clear •• fresh artesian water, brought in from ' wells at,.some.'distance, while tho site; naturally.allows.of easy drainage.Tho' ■ present' arrangements.' permit, of . : 1500; '. ' sheep a day -being •; dealt with, together : ■■■ with 50 head of cattle. -The cold stores will accommodato 30,000 carcasses. ' . Inside the Freezing Works. ;;;",;. Without bewildering the. reader wit-h : too many technical details ; some des- - . cription of ..the machinery of a big works is always interesting. In . the ; southern _! engine-room is a Halls i Coi_ refrigerating engine? capablo of freezing 800 sheep;-a^^day.V ;Banged along' pno side of. the ; the : : engines. .which:,-work-tho'conveyors and two 10 horse-power brine and water circulat- :. ors. : Then ~tliere is ; the dynamo with'; . another engine to , drive it. ... Close •by on the wall and right under tho eye of series ' of ;dials. sh'owJ irig tho condition of things generally -. throughout, tho works:' ,the. tempera- • tures in the freezing- chambers and the ' . various pressures in coniieetion 'with the - ".refrigerating.; iln. the., boiler-house . itself are two of Cable's boilors and a |i;: :Niven multitubular:boiler. giving a total' :; of 120 horse-power. . The northern engine-room contains a big edd-air : machine which will freeze '• 700 sheep per diem. , I 1:' 1 , '; Some little"distance:, away,'.. but, con- • nectcd up with the meat' works-- itself . by a tramway system are the fellmong- ' . ery and and manure works. , These aro on an extensive scale and : fitted with tho usual plant-. Something About the. Company. .The company originated with Mr. '.'■j-Kinross' White, as stated above, and ;• he remains to-day the managing director. The'. capital > (£80)000) was raised ; partly in Great Britain and partly in New Zealand. The head office, of the .company is' at 28 llasiiighall• Street, . London, and the New Zealand head offlee, at Napier. . Tlie London directorate consists of Mr. Walter Savill (of the : Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company), Jlr. Johnston Smith (of London and : - Glasgow), Mr. Joseph .White, London (brother <J rMir. .W, Kinross .White),

p'""'fj''■■ --' ■ ■ '• TWO WORKS IN ONE. BUSINESS ACUMEN AND FORESIGHT. ' : -,;V f.- • : .>;■•- - ; "■' ' ' ■• ■ , '. .'V, J i- ~ ,_. -< i, 3 1 ' AN UP=TO=DATE ESTABLISHMENT. ' 1 ' : V>r4s'*Wr;r"-\i' ' V\;.J {yVvi.-.;

and Mr.-Edward Nelson-, (of :Jamos ;Nelson; .andviSons,-, a^^M'srp.;', l '•T/ s vls". ; Lowry, R; D.; D. iM'Lcatij J. (Bayly A'Doane, Arihur Geo.' . Bee," .'and Kinross-W 7 hite...' " ■

SOME PROVINCIAL CENTRES. 4 TOWNS ALONG THE RAH/WAY LINE X Hawke's Bay has many thriving centres/and dotted along . the-railway line are- to be found a number of .prosperous- ■ townships, the. first from Napier, .being Waipawa, which has made:progressof .late, and /now. has its muni-cipal-;gasworksv.- Not .far .away is the picturesque little",towi> or WaipuKurau, , how; the ;.c'entr,eii of,' a roensiderable ■ closer , oiij^the and'' in;^a' gujet,;- steaicty way it;,hais v niade p.iii'J'the.f's'ouihern boundary: of. theVpi'ovin'cial;district:stands S'the .prosperous dairying ■' sbttleinent^'.of' ; :';andjhaconj, factories,. ! alid'Mother: / i2dvistries? > J - ,K '' • Dannevirke, : to whose remarkablo development ;reference , has" been made elsewhere, was originally settled by .speciaj .emigration from Denmark about 1872. vilthe ; i^iie-;:ofS'§Veral.'. , engtfgetnS4ii.':.-;.iii.;-''t}ie' : ■'The seraement, lite nianj-. others,;' had ."its : 'a'dverso. times, ,Wt : it'has; survived ..them; all, ; and is .how; .the.'third-' town,'of-;.^the: province, ranking ' next: after Napier ; and- Hastings.- It: is a. town'-'wilhv.a, big .future! before, it. ..-i'

lubitors, but they-arc all names of those who havo assisted, .not only to bring the society to its- present "high, position , amongst agricultural societies, but : also ;to,-establish the high reputation which jthe province possesses' ; a£ a 'stock-raising •disti'ich The management of the society's ,affairs'-.is now as it has been practically [throughout its cnreoiy in tho hands of (capable and enthusiastic' men, for withjout 1 this enthusiasm allied to knowledge jthe,-great progress of the society . could ;nqtf.havo been achieved, and Ave may jlook : forward to still ..further progress, laiid jrio doubt oh the'occasion of tho jiubileo of this, institution, two years 'hence,• wo skdU an., attempt to | mark- this ..anniversary- ,in,, a manner of tho occasion.":' The present (Secretary,'of tho society is Mr. C. Douglas, |\vho, exhibitors and the public alike sny, iis .'tho bright. man ,in tho.; right place. |Mr: IDouglas is, ojie of . those, quiet, in,'defatigable men who accomplish much, jand.wjio at the same.time seem to rcdueo :frict'ioh to a minimum;'•" Under Mr. ;l)oiiglas's regime, the' annual shows aro •not. {likely to snifer; The next show of jtlie society will bo,held on October 19, antl ! 20 ; next, and brcedors are already preparjiiig ..to capture some:.of. tho ;valuable •prizes offered. ,' • : L : -

A PROSPEROUS BUSINESS. ■. The : , :.busmess..- : bonducted"-bv , .'v'Mr.' -A; i M .Glashanv auctioneer, friut.' and- produce-1 merchant, and;complete house furnisher, claims to be' the. oldest:, of ■ its, kind, inHawke's -Bay..- --'file'!business .has;-.grown: rapidly- during theI*past1 *past few years,: especi-' ally: -in. the furniture .department,- . ' to.' . which." special- attention'.,;is; given;.., Large: ,stoeks:of houso''furniture.:are'onsview: at. . the /People's Furniture -.;Rooms, .'Napier,-, . and here the .auction sales, fruit. and' .pro-. ,duce .business'.are/also...;carncd;.on.. , The' large;,store; in',;Heretaunga';' Street, -Hast-"', ':ings,'' : .is ; . : also' : conducted^^;by v this '.enterprise ' ing firih,l and: for . Furnituro". is : '■widelyJ khiSwn; ;The[firm > f makes a;: feature i of, quality," design, v.. and price, in ui>-to-dato furniture. ' It is al,ways_.;a wise idea ■ in' making .any sort of : a ; purchase to take: into; consideratibs the capability : resources of. the store, dealing ;in the article you want..'" Anyone can . adyertise';. : and i .say, ."big. things/' „ but v v to._. M MeHverVthe'.:'gobds"'^is' ; rquite'' v "ahother ? matter.:.; M'Glashan's .claims to carry the. largest stock, in the, district, and its buy-; ing:capacity enables it to .quote unusually low. prices when the: quality of its, goods is corisidcredv '.-The' of this.business'feU of;itß Success.