HANDLING OUR FROZEN MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1042, 3 February 1911, Page 8

HANDLING OUR FROZEN MEAT.

SUGGESTED .IMPROVEMENTS FOB : : . THIS END. ' SEVEN PROPOSALS FORMULATED.' , Mr.W. D. Lysnar, of Gisborne, was in .Wellington this week, aiicl- a Dominion representative who interviewed him was furnished with new and interesting particulars bearing on • the subject of tho handling and the marketing of New Zealand s exported frozen meat. _ South Island centres have been moving in; the.matter. Mr. Lysnar has addressed interested., parties at Christchurch, and action is to be taken at Dunedin. Mr Lysnar was asked by tho Farmers' Union nt. Christohurch to forraulato "heads" of improvement-,at this end. Thcso have Eince.been drafted, and a copy was given the writer yesterday. Mr. Lysnar savs that what is required at this end should be kept entirely distinct from what is rejuireil nt. the London end.

.".First: One of tho first things is to entirely ,do away with slings. Meat Bhoujd.bo lifted by means of boxes, with a flapdppr at either end, such as- aro used in the Argentine. ■"Second:. Another recommendation is that, all meat should bear.n leaden mark, similar to those at present used by ouo of; tho Christcliurch meat companies. Tho marl: should be attached with wire, so that when tho wire is undone tho leaden brand v/ojld brpuk up, and thus prevent the brand, on New Zealand meat from boing removed,, and.placed on inferior meat of another country, which is largely dono at present. Then, again, each freezing ivories should have a distinctive coverin" for their.meat,-"either by a bag wholly coloured or marked by means of a colo'urcd stripe.

"Third: Tho third matter is that the use- of chutes should be discontinued in loading the ships. Wherever oho of tlicso chutes rests on a oircciss it is seriously damaged. "Fourth: The system of putting classification marks in bills of lading should be absolutely-discontinued. "Fifth: Regarding the question of the 'delivery of the meat in London, a strong effort should bo mado for the 7 ships, particularly those of any one line, and which, of course, carry the. same producer's produce as a rule, to be so regulated as to arrive in London at stated intervals.

"Sixth: If tho prestige of New Zenlaud in regard to her meat is to bo maintain-" «!,- the shipments must, as nearly as possible, bo spread over the whole year With that object in view it- will be nccestery for the freezing companies to provide more storage accommodation, so tliat at the dose of each season they can hold over a fair proportion for export (luring the remainder of the year, at regular intervals. Tlie banks ami morcautilo Kims 'js well make advances when iu store as

when in London or during transit. The freezing companies would, of course, be paid a fair price for storing the producers' meat. .

"Seventh: Legislation should be passed for the grading of meat by Government officials as to its quality, and on the same lines as those prevailing at present iu-tho Dominion for butter, cheese, and hemp. It is-not suggested that tbo Government grades should interfere with the- classification of meat by 'the companies. . This should bo dor.o entirely by the companies as at present. If a recognised uuiforra system oi grading were- in vogue, it would enable higher values to ha obtained, and would facilitate dealing either ahead, or while the meat was in store, or in transit, -without inspection. .Tho great difficulty at present is that no two works grade alike, and most works, are changing, their grading-from-tin)} to time, so that buyers really don't know where they stand. It is known that, generally speaking, the freezing companies! do not take kiiuliy to the- suggestion, for the simple reason that they do not like tho Government inspectors mterfcriiSg with the works more than can be helped.