THE WAIRARAPA BOCON FACTORY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 16

THE WAIRARAPA BOCON FACTORY.

AT CARTERTON. OVER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIRST PRIZES. GOVERNMENT INSPECTION A '■ ." FEATURE. ■ . . Tho Vairarapa Bacon Factory, whoso largo and well-appointed business premises aro an object of interest to travellers through tho Wairarapa, is situated at Carterton., close to tho railway station. ■ It was . first established in 1501, by the Wairarapa Bacon and Freezing Company, Ltd., and was takeil over in July, 1910, by tho present proprietor, Mr. H. Wilson. Mr. Wilson has had.a very extensive, connection with tho bacon industry, and ho is re'garJed as one of the best curers of bacon;in,New Zealand.' Ho commenced the'first bacon company in Wellington in 1885 m Manners Street, ii?e firm' being known' as Bruce and Wilson, and Mr.' Wilson/'himself has.the honour,6f being tho first professional man to establish the. trade ■ in New' .Zealand. Since that, time he has been awarded 135 first prizes for bacon and .ham curing at tlioWellington, Canterbury, Palmerstoii North, Taranaki, Auckland, and'Carterton- shows, and- his ' present cures, known . ; as "Wilson's hanis. and bacon," have a very •■free'market sale all over Now Zealand. '. • .- .' ■ ; . Up-to-Dato. . Since taking .over tho present works,, .Mr.; Wilson. has■ riiadb .-. very.' .extensive alterations -and :'. additions,';;-arid '■' the factory is now regarded as one of tho most i!*)dern of its kind in New Zealand. Decent improvements include, a new smoke house, double capacity, new lard and packing houses, new freezing chamber, making , now three in all, new - Tangye gas engine and weighing plant. In addition the building has been lengthened fifty: feet, , allowing an overhead trolly system to run from ono end of the factory to the other. The wholo of ilie floor space is of concrete, and /everything has been dono in the factory to allow for quick handling of tho goods. Under, tho-pre-sent improvements, the factory can deal with 8000 pigs per 'annum,- against 4300 which'werq dealt with last year. Mr. Wilson has .agencies-and receiving stations in the Taranaki, Manawatu, Wairarapa, and Bush: districts. Pigs aro sent through to. tho Masterton abattoirs, where they are killed and slaughtered under Government veterinary supervision. This is .an important fact to' note in connection with Wilson's -hams and bacon. Every carcass, every-ham, l ; and every rasher of bacon sold are'-'guaranteed freo from disease. A very Uofig:'connection with the busi-

instances neglected was responsible- in a great measure to their prevalence to disease. ■ Stats Supervision. Mr. Wilson expresses the opinion that so far tho pig industry has not received any special State • attention. Had that been dono, ho contends tho co-operative factories would have been placed on more profit-making lines than they aro now. Reverting again to the Government inspection of slaughtered pig's,' Mr. AVilson states that his factory is tho only one in New Zealand which has struck for twelve consecutive months to Government inspection. • As a matter of fact, he has had all his pigs examined under Government supervision for tiro past three years,and ho declares that his experience shows that sooner than discontinuo it, he would close his factory; There is no. doubt that in tho Wairarapa Bacon Factory at their disposal, farmers in the district,', and, indeed, all over tho. island, possess a valuable asset. Its continued establishment and progress spell for the highest market prices, healthy competition with other factories, and n greater attention to tho importance of pigbreeding. .