OUR MEAT MARKETS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1994, 27 February 1914, Page 4

OUR MEAT MARKETS.

the-'claim of london. and ;'■;";.■■ >■ Bristol. :> '■):: Sir,—My attention Iras-, jflst'.. been callcd..to .soino ; fiirbiier remarks by Mr. Vii .D. Lyshar whkii appeared- in the"Poverty Bay Hpraicl"' Of tiio lOt.b- instant in, regard to tho cost of. gottiiH? moat to. the Smithfieid. market .'through London ,and through Bristol respectively. . ; I liavo already dealt very fully with tlio matter, and tiki not think niiy fairminded person could hav© misread, the figures 1 have quoted,, but I will again sot the.charges.oHt through both parts and will leayo tjic pubjie to judgo whether. I am cndearairiiig to confuse tlio minds.of producers, or whether Mr. I Lvsiiar does not stand seltacctu&cd.

Tho charges oir frozen meat are: Direot from ship to Smitlifteld market— Via London, including port rate, wharfage, cartage,, market tolls, and pitching, 14s! 7d. per ton. Via ..-Bristol,'including port rate, Quay charges, rati ratOj market tolls, and pitching, SSs. 7d: per ton, ' 3-ton lots; Is. per ton less if sent at owner's risk. . Via Bristol, under' 3-tora lots, ;41s. sd. per ton.. Tt will' be seen thero is a saving.in favour of London .of 14s. per' ton' on three-ton lots and no tes ji sum than 265. lOd. per ton on'tots tinder throw tons. None of thw figures includecold, storage. Tho rato of 28s. 7d. per ton. via Bristol, is made. up. as muter:-— Per ton. •• 8 ;d. Hort rate » ..,.'; 1 G Quay charges (goods to be worked direct to truek wrthatit sort- : ing): .2 0 Kail rato 21 10 Market, tolls and pitching .at Smitblield luarkct 8 3 Total '. „ 28 7 It will thus be sided) that this rate does not allow for any storage whatever. Tho charges on frozen meat scut to Smithfield market, including storage, are as unclor-* Via London: Average cost front ship to Smithliokl market, including market tolls and pitching and ouc-iuontlrs storage, 2Ss. Gd. per ton. Via Bristol, including market tolls and pitching, and' only one ' week's storage, 325: 7d, per ion,

oi a saving in favour of'Londan of 4s. Id. per ton on throo-toti lots, plus three weeks' storage. Tho saving. oh lots tinder three-tun is, of courso, eonsiderably greater; as the rail rate alone from Bristol to London upon lots under threeton is no less than 81s, Bd. per ton. But who would want to sell meat at Smitblield market and store'at Bristol r 1 Tilc greatest attraction to buyers is to have the goods where they can be easily inspected.

. ; Jlr. Lysnar suggests that it would have been'more "manly'had I informed him of tho alteration in the English railway 'rales and ths London storage charges liefiire beginning: Die controversy. Well, of course, I did not know

tho full extent of Mr. Lysnar's ignorance of the. vital, questions lie is expounding with such apparent confidence.. T)h» advance in the railway rates in land, and tho reduction in the Lomlmi storage chaigos. was Fully reported ,n the newspapers months ago. Besides, .what Imvo the authorities at. Bristol been doing to let their champion remain in blissful ignorance of such vital paints as alterations in rates? Have they, too, overlooked it? I suggest that tho public of this country will not miss the significance of this. In regard to loading nicat direct from the ship at London doeUs for the provinces, hero again Mr. Lysnar shows haw very little lie knows about London. Not only is it possible for meat to bo loaded direct from ship for the provinces, but it is dotto every day ships : arci working.- Trucks are- iiot ordered until they are wanted, consequently they do not come on demurrage, but, if Mr. Lysnar's statement is correct,, would trucks not conic- on demurrage equally at Bristol as at London,

Ifi regard to Mr. Lysnar's .eritieisms of our new sorting sheds and eold stores, 1 would mention that these works are being constructed by one of the best engineering firm.iv lit England, while it is doubtful if Mr. Lysnar's- ciigi-iseering problems have extended beyond a ioeoJ tramway..

It will be remembered that Sir. Lysnar stated it was his intention to cable the High- Commissioner in regard, to my'statement- that electric-elevators and e-jidless-beH conveyors are used for discharging New Zealand : mutton. at the Ros - a3 Victoria Book. I also suggested hi? should ask the High.Oorhmfesion.er his opinion about the site of the new sorting sheds. If lw baa not cabled,, why has ho- not done so? If he.has cabled, what ia tho reply? quote from old correspondence is evading the question. After all, the groat point is that the new sorting sheds, etc., are being erected for the Australasian trade. 'Hw question of site is there- piffle. What surprises ino is that any porson should wish ta remove his business-.from tho -very heart of the. dock system in. London and niake *oMn for otber people who a.ro only too eases' to conic- in. If the Royal .Albert and Victoria Dock is fiat- the heft place, why are tho Argentine people there? Both Mr, Lysnar and his-brother dollied the existence of ©lee-trie elevators, and band conveyors for discharging meat at the Royal Victoria Dock-. ' They sh»ij.W either substantiate'their statement or withdraw it.

Mr. Lysuar's other remarks about barging meat after it lias often been put into the Port of London Authority's stores, and tlip available' berthage spa-eo being let to the Argentine people, afo at>,w?hiie nonsense. The Argentine people hare only one berth, say, COO feet in ienstth at tho outside. The Royal Albert; ami Victoria Bock is thro* miles'long anil has ftino mites of quays or berths.' Wkoii once the meat is in our stores tlwro is no need to -barge it. Provision will be made for the delivWy"'- of meat from tho. now sorting sheds • to bsrgcs for those who require barging, and similar provision will be made for those j - cWtiriiiß direct delivery to vans for SniitMcld market or wagons for tile pro-

vinces. .'■ Mr. Lysnnr lias confidently stated thai the insurance on meat from Nfw Zealand, ports to Bristol is about Bs. fid, per cent., while to London it was 455.. to -GSs. per cent. He does not tell his andieftce that the, first rate is a "total logs" polks v; while- the higher fates aro for "all risks," and, further, that therato of Bs. 6d. applies equally to London as to Bristol, Whv should the producers aiid. shippors be told half a tale? I am, etc.. ' '' ;. H..ESTILL, Commercial Siiperint-eadcni,. Port of London Authority.' Grand Hotel, Wollinaton, -•.- ' February 24,'1914. -■- ".' ■■'■■"■■■'■ »'