FARMING AND COMMERCIAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1548, 18 September 1912, Page 10

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL.

THE FROZEN.MEAT TRADE. ':''■■■ JOCK' ACCOMMODATION '. NECiOTIA-. .■-.-• ■-{,:; -~- TioNs. , A> V-ICJOKOUii STATEMENT.. ' . ■": • •: - (H.) •-'•■... In tho article published in this column pn Monday in'regard to the negotiations' between Messrs." AW D. Lysnar and F. ■('. Khelton, representative-! of the Producers' Association, and Lord Devonport, chair--1 man of tho Port of London Authority, refereuco wns.iuad& to a statement handed ■"/ in.at tho conference by Mr. Lysnnr. This - statement-reads, as-under: ■' .' Mr. Lysnaf's Statement. "X wish to lay before you the following position:—ln October, 1910, 1,, with other members of the .New Zealand Committee, was favoured with an interview with you' when'the' facilities at the Port for handling frozen produco from Jfew Zealand wore fully discussed, and you admitted that they were unsatisfactory.- You drafted, inter. .'alia, the following note at tho' time:--: . " j .' i _ : - ' ■ .. l: \ " 'In ; vi6w.. of the assurances of your deputation, which, ,we understand, are to be ampKKcd , and confirmed on your return to New-Zealand, the'chieK engineer will, lie instructed forthwith to'submit plans, specifications, and estimates for tho erection "'of cold storage ..equipment of the most up-tb-datt! character on an approved spot in the Port of London Aittliority's docks, the most central and convenient lor distribution, over '-.tho -metropolis nnd to : .inland:points.',. :.. ' . ~.. : "Si'ipgestioiw were niade to you that the South-AVest India Dock'should be prol>stly equipped and made suitable for. this Hade. It was agrfced by'you that if the producers of New .Zealand would give reasonable assurance that the accommodation would'.be .used., the,. Authority .would rqiiip the dock and provide up-to-date • facilities, for .dealing with the New Zealand pwHhce., at. :'tlic '.Houth-Wcst.. India Dock. ~At the. interview ,we were led ■to ■believa'this, arailah'lo in 18 liioiij^.. , ..•■;-,';-; ;.....,,",.. "Oii this understanding [ returned tn Kew Zealand, explained, the,position at public meetings at the priitcipiil centres of the Dominion, with -I he' Tesult that resolutions fully endorsing' vtlie,',. South. Dock scheme ,were at each me.ijtift? passed, • mid same were cabled aiid 'mailed, to iy'biir -Authority. To these; resolutions no ex-, xeptiori has bsen taken'by vo'u'r Authority. As a result; of these-., Zealand; I'rodireers' Association was formed, consisting of. reproseutntive men from' various piir.U'-of'the Dominion, who sub-' I scribed large .'sums of money to cover .the necessary expenses.in, connection with the. programmo of. .the ' association; the ..first .- plank of which.is to complete the negotiations entered into with you for ..securing, adequate provision . in ,'the. .SoutMVest India .'Docks for. Xciv .."Zealand's frozen produce - trade. ' ",'"■■'■■'".'■

"Mr. Shelton was appointed to co'nie to London for this purpose, and at an interview at your Lordship's resilience on .Time 15, 1911, it'was'understood that itvhiight , be.proceeded with-forthwith Io equip the South ,pock,, for.the trade provided the Authority could be satisfied that the premises would be profitably used. -. Later, yoiir officials advised that it was iiiipos■eiblp to proceed with the South Dock proposals-I'm - - .some time.. ~ ...... . '."i'liisj.alteration was most; .unfortunate, 1 but-, iu/ order; to', meet' the position',' thel'ort !A\u'tlio'rityVofl'ered,' ; : oh 'their own; suggestion, to- equip premises in the Victoria Dock, so as to provide better accommodation until the; South Dock could lie made available, and undertook to lnyo, this ready., for next. season , !!' trade,, and this proposition was seriously reduced to : writing,'so"that, Hi-.. Rheltonlcould place the position before." the association," for tvhicli purpose the Authority was informed he was making a special- visit .to New Zealand. ... ■ .■. 'i ■'' ■'•'-' . "Tho.association agreed to the.Victoria Dpck temporary'proposal, but the Authority . now withdraw same,', and stato the premises could nofc he equipped within two years. ... .. ■<'. \ "This withdrawal of a definite undcrtakinj'of thi?..1, , .1j.A.. is one which I hope four Lordship will not approve; ... . "The •association, has,, at..large cost .and ell'ort-. endeavoured: , to carry- out ■the wishes, of the 'Authority;' but" each time Hie position..has . been altered by the Authority. Borne Special Ppjnts. ...... "I: specially wish to.; point' out:r-(l) Thiil: the Authority-, can-provide improved facilities by converting the buildings at (he Victoria, this, year. (2) That it will not be necessary to spend .£270,000 on , them, as the buildings are already there nnd only require equipping. (3) The three shipping-companies; arc agreeable to make use of same.. (4) The' New Zealand .frozen produce trade, if concentrated there, can be batter supervised. (5) That apparently there is no hope for-any other accommodation being available for at least two years.- (G) That the. New Zealand trade will: accept the Victoria site until,'the' South. Dock-is available, and to leave the inore .valuable site in the Albert Pocks for the other increasing trade of tlie Port, which does not require the s'ncctol facilities,that the New Zealand frozen trade 'does'. (7). In. I his wny- the .South Dock will become fully' revenup-earnini; ns-soon as it is available. (8) The position of .the South Dock will kill the barging .system and ensure to the P.L.'A , . their full share of .storage, which' -is- not now Ryailabb- to them as. the distance, from tho Albert and Victoria lends";towards lightering being cheaper. (9) If the Albert is to b=. the-homo of the frozen produce trade, barßiiifr will-continue to up.river stores, and the I'.L.A; will lose the trade, whilst it will not .relieve the main disadvantages of. your port, regarding which tho New Zealand producers .complain strongly. .' (i -, . "I am taking the C.p.',a,nd D/Co. as i>. model. They; claim' , they "can supply fimiihfipld'at any time'from, their store nt, Lambeth.'.This cannot bi dono conveniently fro'rn'the Victoria: le« so from the Albert, but it can'be dorio perfectly 'vell from the.South.Dock,' n= evidence'd by the following letter from llwsrs. Cornell, meat carriers, dated October 18, 1910:.'"With proper fncilities at S'nuth-Wfst • India Docks for. delivery Io the carts, etc., and considering you would practical-ly-get a. straight run from there,'' wo would f.ay we could cart as quick from Kouth-Wcst India Dock-to Smithfield as <re can from the tip-town stores.' " Advantages of the. South Dock. "The. South Dock has advantages over nny existing site:—(a) Easy road distance for delivery to Smithfield and London; (b; the miiin buildings are already "in 'existence, '.and, being alungside delivering steamers, minimise handling; (c) rail iblivefy alongside to all parts of England. "We wish tb; P.L.A.'to provide accommodation at the Vicitoria as they offered,, and to make the permanent homo for the New Zfaland trade at the South Ilock. If tho Authority will do this, the result will be puolit to the Port, and satisfaction to the producers, who, in the long run, will control (his trade. As stated in the foregoing, .the H.L.A. have led us, both directly and ' indirectly, Io understand that they will provide both of' lhe.se n-orks, 1 and tin; New Zealand Association have carried out our part of - ths nrrangenicnls until stopped by your alteration* of sami>. ■ ,

* "After Jlr. Shelton's return, lo Xew Zealand," he reccivod your, enble lnpssngo of Kebrunry IC, I!)i2:- .

"'lmporters desire , new scheme and meal , , business-kept Viclorin. Alliorf.Doeks. Ample . iKcpnimoilafioir. w>ut?iii|ilal«il. No scheme available this siiiniiit'i-l Have you [{iinrniilees? Authority's limil decision April.' ' • Anil afltr liis return lo J.ondoii, in n letter from jlio I'.L.A. . dated .Inn-. 27, 1912. tlio followiiiK paragraph npppara:— "'.Whilst'you wore iii Nrw Zealand, pressure was' brought upon the Authority to provide-the additional facilities at the Albert Dock, in substitution of the Victoria Dock proposal, mid n scheme vrns prepared of which you were notified by cable. Influential interests have expressed iv. wish that. the,. Albert. .Dock scheme should be ii permanent' measure.' j "The )io=ition seems ngifiii'nltcrctl-by jrour.Ai'ithority rejiuiriiiß giinrnntecs of a. nipnetiiry nature, and the-consent of th 6 trade as a\wh.Qle, before proceeding-with the South-West India Dock scheme. This Tvas nsvsr 4 ' pontemElated' at ejn

■-■'.- —+— "' NEWS AND NOTES.

original interview, but on the ■ contrary it was. .understood that it would be out of.the nuestion to:jive.monetary guaran-; tees, and that it would be necessary ..to. light.the influences of tho London importers, ns wo recognise that .by. the/suggested, improvements 'being effected it would do ftwnv- very largely with tho necessity".of, produce passing" through the up-town stores and consequently reduce the Lpndon 'merchants', business, besides having a tondency tostop tho producer selling in New Zealand; to the London b.uyer, in-' stead of selling ]ou tho London-market. . i "In short, the-position resolves itself down to this: Is your Authority going to disregard the distinct basis agreed on previously, and, instead, l accede' to the wish of influential interests in.London to provide a home for the. New-Zealand trade' at an unsuitable-site? ' , ■'■'.•: ;"I trust tliis .will not be so, and that" your Authority will respect the basis 'Of arrangements as originajly settled, and' accede to the united 'wish, of the pro- | ducers expressed from one end 'of New, Zealand to the other." v '■ ' :■'■. THE FROZEN-MEAT TRADE. GROWTH OF THE INDUSTRY. ' \ Speaking at. a; farewell'social at Long-, burn on Monday .Mr. J. Anderson, who has been iuannger of the'. Longburn ing Works for the past fifteen years, gave' im interesting survey of. the freezing in r . dustr.r iri New Zealand. IHe said thc.'firstfirm to commence frnezin'g. was the NewZealand Kefrigeratiiig Company, with: works at Burnsidc near Dunedin. ,ThiV was-in 1881. The Canterbury Frozen Meat and Dairv Produce Export. Company was formed'shortly'nfter, with'works at Belfast, its killing, capacity being .about 300. sheep per day. '•"And," said Mr v Ander-son";-"1. can remember the talk there was at the time, the company commenced, killing lambs as towhat the effect would bo on the . flocks of the , colony if-thcy continued to do'so.; It was generally pre-" dieted that the flocks-would'be depleted,' and bring, about a meat •famine." The Canterbury Meat. Company-can now hari-dlo-.at its works at Belfast, Ashburton, .and Faeora,, 14,500 sheep and lamb's ;perday. It--also has- a storage capacity of 290,000 carcasses. The Christchurch Meat Company can handle about the snme number with a storage capacity of. 240J000 carcasses. .'ln the works-throughout the Dominion there is capacity for deal--ing with.83,575 sheep and lambs, and an approximate ;storage-capacity of .2,041,000 carcasses; and .the meat famine' is riot yet.-.. ' .-■•.■.' ■■■-..

Australian frozen meat was ; imported, into' Great Britain'iii'lßSo, New Zealand in 18R2, and Argentine..in. 18$.'. Up to'. 1910 the .respective - totals ■ stood as • foU low:—Australia, 27,824,820; New ■ Zealand;! 72,454,591; arid South' America, 53,463,982, making a grant total of 153,953,393"'carcasses.- ■ . ,'•■ ■ -■:-.' . '■' -, .;., ■ . ■ • The export io- Great' Britain iii, ciyis.,from '1885 to 1910, may be . tabulated; as follows:—; '''.■'••■-...■ ' .' •■ •,-. •'■•''. ■'

' ' Australia.'. N.Z. : 188 S. ..'..'.■■. 61.352 292,857.; ■;. 113;153 ' 1890 ... - ■ 131,252 875,817 .444,017: 1895 .;. 985,771' 1,187,365. 738,680 1900' ... 860,040- -1,797,864 1,527.057 1905 ... 524,438. 1,670,319 4,042,659

"There , ?.money .in it,"- is.an observation Sufficient,in itself to.make the!aver-. a?o factory lnaifagpr'cock his. ear's,. .Ahit if ; "he■'.has. aiiy-. "go" in ' him hb'-gets at, the,:rbot."of'.'.the inattor in do.jibie-.rjuick 'time,'..This'accoutitsifor the 'great'success 1 of 'Tictor" Vats—there's money, in th(*iv as dairy men, quickly .realise. Be.tter seud along that order to-day. Albert J. Parton,, Carterton—Advt.

A WINNER. OF COMPETITIONS. The Egs-layirig competitions for-1910-11 nnd 191J-13 wore both won .by pens reared en .'A. and P." Chick Raiser. The first pssenti.aTJ" 'Mr ' profitableV: poultry keening. Obtainable from all Storekeepers.—Aavt.