FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1007, 23 December 1910, Page 6

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

MR. LYSNAR'S VIEWS. CRITICISM AND A CHALLENGE.' (By Telegraph.—Special CorrctiDondcntJ Hastings, December 22. A representative meeting of farmers and others interested in the frozen meat trade was held in tho Hastings Borough Council Chambers this afternoon, when Mr. W. D. Lysnar, Mayor of Gisborne, spoke on the condition of affairs with regard to the handling of frozen meat at the Port of London. Mr. A. H. llussell presided. Mr. Lysnar traversed the chief points of the report adopted by the committee in London of which fio formed one. In reply to a question he also divulged tho report made in regard to tho condition of tho barges used to convey meat on the Thames River, but first .stipulated .thai; the press should not publish same. -

Mr. Lysnar said the difficulty was to find and adopt the best method by which to improve the present state of affairs. Ho estimated that New Zealand farmers were losing over Ji1,000,000 a year through faulty landing. Argentine exporters surmounted the difficulty by sending produce to Liverpool, and. thence by train to Smithfield. lie had seen Dominion and Argentine mpat side by side, and the New Zealand article was dirty, torn, and broken, while the Republic article was clean and wholesome.

Subsequently Mr. L. T. M'Hardy, who also formed one of the London commit-' tee, spoke, and substantially corroborated what Mr. Lysnar had stated. Mr. Lysnar. referred to the remarks recently made by Mr. Beauchamp and Sir Geo. Clifford' in regard to tho report and claimed that they wero in ignorance of the facts.- If the London representatives of the companies they spoke for had been unable to find any Daws in tho report, how was it likely that these, gentlemen in New Zealand could do so. The report had been circulated' in London and the facts had been proved there to be incontrovertible. ...

During the discussion which followed Mr. William Nelson, of Nelson Bros., took a prominent part. Under cross-ex-amination Mr. Ly-suar admitted, that the stores, the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company were admirably situated and equipped and any meat he saw there had. arrived in first-class condition. Mr. Lysnar had stated that damago to New Zealand meat under existing conditions averaged from - ten to twelve per cent. Mr. Nelson quoted figures showing that the loss to .his firm's, clients did not' amount to nioro than 2} .per cent for mutton; 3 3-8 for lamb, and "J per cent for beef. >

' Mr. reply to Mr. Nelson's cri-, ticism was that meat passing through the stores of the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company was dealt with as satisfactorily as was possible under existing conditions. Mr. Nelson also referred to a letter recently published in the press wherein Mr. Lysnar had warned Mr. Beauchanip and other representatives of the freezing com- : panies as to what, they might say or, do at the present-juncture. He felt this to bo an implied insinuation that, he, with others, had done something to be ashamed of. He was there to challenge that position. This point was not. further dealt with.

On tho motion of-Mr. B. D. D. M'Lean, it was. resolved:—"That this meeting desires to endorse the recommendations of the New Zealand Committee that better facilities be provided for the handling aud sorting, of New Zealand produco at London docks, and if facilities on tho lineS suggested are provided by tho Port of London Authorities individual members present at this meeting do all in their liower to direct that their produco be discharged through these facilities." It was also resolved to endorse the report and recommendations of the New Zealand Committee"(l) That increased storage should be provided at SmithfieUl Market; (2) that trolleys on rails be provided carriage of meat within the market; (3) that the present allowances on New Zealand meat be made uniform with those allowed at other ports on foreign meat.. If these requests be ac-ceded-to by .the London.City Corporation this meeting considers that it will largely reduce the dissatisfaction among producers regarding the handling, storage, and distribution of their produce in London."

A committee, consisting of Messrs. L M'Hardy, R. D. D. M'Lean, T. E. Crosse' N. Kettle, J. S. M'Leod, aud W. Richmond was set up to further the recommendations of tho meeting.