THE OYSTER TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1081, 21 March 1911, Page 5

THE OYSTER TRADE.

4 WHAT BLUFF MERCHANTS SAY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Invercargiil, March 20.' A "Times" reporter to-day interviewed Bluff oyster merchants in regard to complaints as to the bad condition of oysters sent north. The fact that many consignments had been rejected was freely admitted, but it was stated that this was. solely due to the unusually warm weather. Special precautions had been taken to avoid storage and to ensure the oysters being fresh, but merchants had appealed in vain to the Railway Department to carry oysters in insulated trucks, puch as were used for the carriage of frozen meat. Under existing circumstances trucks stood about in the sun, and farpaulin coverings only added to the heat. Every Melbourne shipment savo one had been entirely satisfactory, and, in the casa of that one, the trouble was _ caused by the temperature of the cooling chamber being reduccd to freezing point, thus killing the oysters. The Wellington suggestion that oysters iflf last year's dredging were put in with consignments, was ridiculed, it being pointed out that it was against the law to hold oysters iii the close season. Fishmongers had not been losers over the rejection, as the Bluff merchants made allowances in such cases, and consequently had mado no P ro £ts this year. It was argued that '.f tne Government took over the industry higher prices would result, nnd that anyway Bluff oysters Were got from the frio ind open sea, over which the Government jould claim no monopoly.