HANDLING FROZEN MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1099, 11 April 1911, Page 8

HANDLING FROZEN MEAT.

AN IMPORTANT, STEP.

? PRODUCERS' REPRESENTATIVE TO | GO HOME. [ A meeting of the executive of tho New i Zealand Producers' Association, as ap-

| pointed at tho conference on tho hand- ! ling of frozen produce, whicli met in Wellington on March 1 and, 2, : was held at ; Dannevirko last Friday. Mr. J. G. Wil- ! son, of Bulls, presided, and there were 'also present Messrs. AY.-D. Lysnar (Gislborne), L. 11. M'Hardy '(Hawke's Eav), | F. J. Knighc (Dannevirko). ApoloS gies.for absenco wore received from i ~Messrs. R. X). M'Lc-an (Napier), J. C'. | ; Field (Gisborne), and. J. i\'jugate (PalI jmerston North), all of whom expressed i . themselves as in accord with tho proposal j ', to come beforo the meeting. This was I to appoint Mr. F. J. Shelton to go to : -England as tho representative of the as- | sociation. Mr. Lysnar reported That f .- wherever he had been able to obtain the

opinions of outside committees, they had ; declared in favour of the proposed apI pointment. The executive unanimously i '" decided to make the appointment, and i Air. Shelton has accordingly been engaged for nine months. It is lioped that the engagement will be extended beyond that [ . period, but that will depend upon the support that is forthcoming from the pro--5 dnccrs or from the Legislature. In the j ' meantime funds have been collected- sui-. ; , ficient to meet his expenses and those of I' the, association for the . period of nine 1 months. , ■ It will be Jlr. Shelton's duly to endeavour to see that tho recommendations ; made by the New Zealand Comniitteo to i the Port of London Authority, and the ! ; Smithfield Market Committee 'are carried ( out'." The Authorities have asked for ! suggestions, and the appointment of a J representative who can confer directly j with them seemed to be. the best'course |to take.' Mr. -Shelton will also make rejcQmmendations to .tho executive in New 'V Zealand as to'how the methods of hand- : ling and marketing our frozen produce can be"-improved. . He will send out monthly reports, copies of which will .be ' forwarded .to the newspapers throughout f tho Dominion.. . • i I Mr. Wilson reported to the executive ' that he had/cabled,as Dominion president ! of the Farmers' Union, to Lord Devonport in regard to proposed dock improvements at. London. The reply, although favourable, disclosed an intention of delaying' a por- ; . tion of the work that was considered i ■ essential to the interests of Now Zealand, ; owing ■to . other work being considered ; m'ore important. Tho executive there- ; upon specially instructed Mr. Slielton to i do his, utmost'to induce the Port A.u----i it.hority; not to delay the work in quesI ition, as it was considered that without | jit the effect of the other improvements, ;.so far as the New Zealand tiv.de is c'on- ; Corned, would be nullified. Mr., Shelton, who was for a number of ;ears at the head of the important merintile firm of Common, Shelton, and Co., Gisborne,' has a thorough'knowledge 'the commercial requirements of- the , .producers of the, Dominion, and is well ; with 'the technical aspect of ; f handling and dealing with' frozen meat. ; -Ho built and managed for many years ' 'the Gisborne Freezing Company's works, i 'and has been associated with the freezing | . industry . for _ nearly twenty years. He | '- went Home in 1896 to look into matters ; i connected with the meat trade, and on his ;- return to New Zealand ho wrote a cir-. 5 cular ■ letter showing tho disadvantages : which our meat export trade was then ! 'labouring under in the way of improper ; handling. This document was sent to all . the mercantile firms, banks, and freezing ; companies in New Zealand, and their aid. '•was asked for the remedying of the de- • fects complained of, but nothing practical resulted. In 1901. Mr. Shelton went Home

: asain. and ha then wrote to ,the late , Mr. Secldon on the. same subject, and : urged that, tho Government should take ; the question up, hut still nothing was i done. The disadvantages .which Jfr. Shel- ! ton on those occasions complained of, are ; the same as are now receiving' tho' atj tehtiftn of tho association which has enI £<isred his services. ; Mr. .Shelton leaves to-da'j for London, : via Vancouver. . • '