HANDLING FROZEN MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1641, 7 January 1913, Page 8

HANDLING FROZEN MEAT.

'HiGH;'-CO'MMissI;6NER'S ; INVESTIGA:i^::-''::) ■'~ ■; ;■: A .short :timO ago the New* Zealand' High Commissioner in London'. (Hon. T. Mackenzie) paid a. visit, to Bristol to see. for 'liimself .what the western port had to offer by. way of inducement .to .New Zealand shippers >to : send .their produce direct, to ■-Avonmouth," and'' what facilities .'there ■' wero at '■'. the port for . handling; storing, and distributing ;periohable; produce. >Ac-> cording to' - the special, correspondent of ■the.Auckland,-'Star,"', Mr. 'Mackenzie, re-; "turned,.to London much impixased with 4he' advantages'AVoiimouth: offers. for, the • and ' distributing .bl refrigerated ~ahd cool chamber, produce. - lHe'was/particularly well V satisfied .with;'the ;dock .-/equipment andthe cold, storage available, 'and"was-' apparently convinced, that so ifar. as the. distribution of New" Zealand, i.produc'e is:coricer'n/ed.a:large part, of tho• more v still ..of,..the .:Wost •'.Country; can bo covered .'withy.advantago ~froui.Avonmouth. ,; •'■ ; - "'J'.'o '■'■:'■''•■.' i v.As : regards -the.-methods' of-handling 'frozen'mutton,and'lamb> Mr. Mackenzie, •after carefully ndting'the'.canf taken in ..the.transference'of carcosses./rom-'ship to ■'-cold- store and -from cold store' to .railway t "truck and'ioad;,vah,.andkno\ying the'aniHecedentfroutino. through, which' New'Zcal J 'lari'd.carcasses have,to ; go, ; .states'with c'onl"Vlcti6n'bis opinio'riHhat; hn insurance rate of three guineas'per cent. ;is'altogether out • l df. proportion! to 'th 6 claims that ought, '~l egitimately, to be: ; made F;Writer's.K : ,!On' this ,matter '-Mr. "Mackenzie plainly 'to some of the 'dock rand .-.cold:- storage, officials;'' Not/to bent abo'ut'.the biish'. .the High. Commissioner 'declared-'bluntly'.'.that. - there .must, bo something very queev. about 'mercantile ''mothc^'dn'.'cohncotioh-:with:'.'claims .'on frozen .hieafc'-to.;■render <i it. .accessary., for mridenvriters, > to'fixi.6Uch a premium on Ifrozen meat.''So far,:rit.;any.rate as Avon-, 'mouth is cohce-ne'd,,Mr:,Mackenzie is apparently' of '■' opinion' that shippers imight rest content : insuring against total 'doss, .and breakdbivn.'in ships' refrigerating tmachineriv whichco.uld be'done,' he says, ■at i'.ififth-of-tho'Preseut-rate. 'Jf-'a few j':cafcasses v; did.:get:',damaged:'.they:could be and 'he: feels sure Itnat-'the'vloss sustained ih:this "direction ; would: bo more than compensated for by -the : loweriinsurance 'premium.'. ;To ; j|ut tho 1 .matter in a tiutshell, Mr.-Mackenzie ! is-seemingly-convinced that,: the present, ibigh«iiumrahc : e;:;ratcs;'; oril'f rbzen: ,'muttoh., : the',.outcomo., i tir,' unfair '"claims' .for, damrige 'made :>y; ini.'ter6sted'par.ties' at this .end of • the. world, 'and" from '■. what-he-': saw, at Avoiimouth, -.backed of the'meth'ods in.voguein'' conheotibn''with' handling .frozen meat'.in Ne'w'.Zealand and its trafls-: ference to ships' chambers, he.is, confident 'that-shippers con':sufficiently, cover themVBelves'vbyririsurihg:;merely::agains.t,' total' 'loss,'and mishaps to shipboard refngerat--■'ing .machinery.-: -.■;'.:■•