THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2412, 18 March 1915, Page 7

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE

EFFECTS OF THE SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING. (By Telegc&ph.—Press Association.) ' Auckland, March 17. Such is the stagnation of the frozen meat trade that the big freezing works at Southdown have been closed down for the whole of this week. The steamer Rotorua is about to load 10,000 car-: casses for London, but this is only equivalent to three days' oitput from Southdown. In a day or two the Karamea is to arrive and load 12,000 car-\ cassos (equal to four day's output), and the'.Pakeha is 'due, on April 5 to take 18,000. carcasses (the result of six days' killing). As the result, of this inadequate supply of ships the works of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company will only operate for about thirty days in two months. An interesting development has occurred in connection with the arrangements for facilitating payment of farm-, ere who desire to sell &tock in the' Auckland distriot. It is that a circular is being issued by the freezing company offering to finance individual farmers be-' tween the time of delivery of. stock to the works and the issuing of cheques by the British Board of Trade Meat Supply Branch. The company has realised the serious' consequences which would probably result to small holders of stock if they had to wait,. say, six or eight weeks for payment. - The Auckland Freezing Company, unlike some of the companies in the South Island, does not make a practice of buying the stock which passes through its. works, hence the need for special arrangements in the present case. .'