N.Z. FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1004, 20 December 1910, Page 6

N.Z. FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

« [To the Editor.] i j attention lias been drawn to the statement made by Mr. H Beau champ, chairman of the Gear Meat Company, at the annual meeting of his company at Wellington on Saturday last when he said "he had had personal experience of the handling comI>aiij s meat..in London,:and the hysterihindllifff nf S! ( ? oncei ™ l Jf ; i'scanialous iushfe nt Omo ,ras mit of th I'- ? company's meat went out of the ships into barges, and then wareho "** s on th ° south.side of Sri? lß i S "-' le carcasses could, not nnd of , I! 1 * 53 warehoiass, and were invariably delivered in good order and condition." 8 k T p n '' Sir, I ara. exceedingly sorrv to read these remarks of Mr.. Beanchamp's, f° r I feel sura he does not. know the true conditions of affairs regarding the handling of our frozen produce in London.' ti l Beauchamp who is in the best, position to judge'as to truth and fairness of what he has been pleased to term "hysterical statemonts, Mr. Eeauchampi residing and carrying on a busy, life in New Zealv.id,or the principal meat men doing busings in London, including firms actually hand-' ling some of his company's micat there? As a fair-minded man he must acknoiv- , ( London,,meat merchants, »'h°; ,ai'G,]Cin tlio ..spot-, and'know allvdetailf,are. the .best judges., ■. , • 111 s ay 'that 'long before publicity was given through the press of the so-called "hysterical statements," they were reduced to writing and submitted tc .'he principal meat men in London by the New Zealand Committee, and they were asked to state their opinion upon them, in writing*, and if there wer© finy unfair,: untrue, or' exaggerated state: incuts, or any recommendations being put forward that were not in the interest of the moat 'business from a producer s standpoint, to say so now, and to correct same; so that ?!>e neco-sRy of making any -corrections' could be verified while ,the .committee was in London, and. if they -were not prepared to do so Ihen,'and attempted o discredit the statements afterythe committee left London, then the committor would have something' to say about them. . While, of course, many of the allegations and statements were not very palatable to those who havo controlled und directed, np to the present, the (pci-a-tions concerning the handling, of New .Zealand's frozen produce, yet not i i:e of these London merchants gave tlio o- m-.-mittee, fori publicity,' ti"single scratch of th'3|.-,pen { : again?t.T .what: iMr. : .~Bea.uchamp now. calls .'."hysterical statements." ./..All were told .' and invited to make, a written statement, which tho committee would attach to their report, and' give full publicity to in New Zealand at the same as.they, made known, their own allegation* and .recommendations. I would suggest to Mr. Beauchamp, that if under such circumstances his coinpinv's representatives in London conld not see their way to defend tho position or take up a brief on behalf of the ■ present extremely. unsatisfactory -system, that ' he himself is taking up a very weak and dangerous position in doing so. I. havo actual particulars ml facts, which, if -published, would go to disprove the statements that have been made inMr. Beauchamp, so far'as his own company's m:at was concerned. . • Now, as I am aware that those producers who acted on the New Zealand; Committee have no desire N at'. this: juncture to .raise a quarrel'with the freezing companies of New Zealand, I will at present refrain from-giving-publicity to the facts referred to, unless Jfr. Beauchamo would desire us to make public thtoiigh the press, data' which is apparently not known to. him 'at til'?. : present time, but which very largely affects tho interests of the producers who supply his company. In concluding, I-would venture-to caution Mr. Beauchamp and the -representative'? of other freezing companies in this Dominion to be caTeful a? to what they ■ say and do at this juncture, and should any of them come forward and put their fingers in the fire they must not blame myself or any of the other members of the New Zealand Committee if they get them burnt. ' I . feel quite sure that if Mr. Beauchamp understood .ths real position he would come forward. and give every assistance, which I trust he will yet see. his way to do—l am, etc., W. DOUGLAS LYSNAH, . Gisbora«, December 19, 1910,