A BIG ENTERPRISE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2930, 16 November 1916, Page 6

A BIG ENTERPRISE

WANGANUI'S NEW MEAT WORKS ITS POLICY AND INTENTIONS A PURELY N.Z. CONCERN HISTORY,OF THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE The following is tho text of the speecli delivered by Mr. H. A. Knight, of Canterbury, Chairman of Directors, at Tuesday's luncheon in honour of tho opening tff tho New Zealand Refrigerating Company's new works at \\ anganui. which speech, as was indicated in tho report published yesterday, had been delayed in transit: "I would like to extend to all a very hearty welcome on behalf of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company. Most, if not all of you, are, so to speak, in your home surroundings, whilst !, as a stranger, feel considerable diffidence in welcoming you on v behalf of the company, which is, somewhat of a newcomer in your midst. I trust, and have no doubt that, ere long, we shall all be better acquainted, and meanwhile it is a matter of gratification to us that wo have found ourselves in a position to ask you to meet us here during your annual show week, when there are so many other interests drawing you to Wanganui. We would all, I know, have earnestly wished that this meeting could have taken place without the ever-present shadow of the world-wido conflict, in which we, as a part of our Empire, arc engaged. Great as our personal sacrifices have been, in .men and lives, it must bo borne in mind that probably no part of tho world has been more immune flom feeling in other respects, the'horrors resulting from warfare. It is further self-evident that tho prosperity which has so long been experienced in New Zealand, has not only been uninterrupted, but is now greater than m "As a country mainly engaged in the produotion of food -and other primary products—all more than ever required in war time—it was probably inevitable that this shou!d be su, always provided the British Navy proved equal to its great task of holding the_ command of tho seas. How well this .has been clone is made very clear to us in New Zealand by our present fortunate posi-

tion. "Whether tho conflict is now approachng the beginning of tho end, or whe;her we and our Allies have still to

face a long and bitter struggle, it is impossible for anyone to judge, although we can, 1 believe, reasonably look forward with confidence to tho ultimate issue, provided all parts of the Empire, and in particular tho i selfgoverning Dominions, face their responsibilities to the utmost in whatever direction the situation requires.

"Later on I will have an opportunity of making a few remarks on various matters in which I think wo all Have a common interest, more particularly tho reason why we have these works; why we havo selected this particular site, and generally as to who and what wo are, also as to the part tho company has played in this, New Zealand's greatest industry, and, further, as to our policy and intentions for the future.

"Although tho works are still some ..way from actual completion in some departments, wo can sco our way to coinmcnco operations within a few days of tho advertised date. You will havo an opportunity later this afternoon of sceipg the extent and naturo of tho buildings and plant, and I hopti that you, 1 as representatives of Wanganui and tho surrounding districts, will share tho feelings of prido which- tho company has in possessing such works. 0

"Meanwhile it is with much pleasure that wo see such a large and representative gathering- here to-day, and I once moro extend to you all tile very heartiest welcorao." \ The Northern Trek. in responding to tho toast, "The New Zealand Refrigerating Co., Ltd., and Success to the Imlay Works," Mr. Knight said:—.• "1 havo to thank you, Mr. Mayor, and Mr. President, for your cordial good wishes for success to our new venture, and you also, gentlemen, for the way in lyhich you have responded to tho toast.

"Probably many of you have wondered why, in view of our large southern interests, we should 'have thought it nccessary to extend our operations to tho North Island. Many of you must be familliar with tho gradual trend of the export trade in the South Island, whero year by year the production of lamb has been more and moro monopolising tho attention •of tho farming community. - This, whilst inevitablo in view of tho con-

ditions there, lias created restrictions • in the distribution, and also lias confined our interests almost entirely to . this particular branch of the trade. Wo have, as a result, found ourselves soviously handicapped on the Home markets, through the lack of supplies of beef and mutton. Our competitors, on tho other hand, have had the advantage of being able to supply all classes of meat, whilst we have been confined to what is almost a luxury, viz., Canterbury lamb. "We'have sought to remedy this, and as no change in southern conditions appeared to us probable, or even possible, we naturally turned our attention to the north. In view of the great area of country, either developed or partially developed or in its natural state only requiring settlement, we selected Wanganui as the district with the greatest possibilities in theso directions, and tins as a site affording, even now, almost everything necessary and desirable for the erection and working of a thoroughly complete and up-to-date plant. "In spito of the war wo have thought it sound to push forward the' work in every way, and we trust that local development works outsido our control, will be viewed from tlie same standpoint, more especially the .opening of y°" r harbour to ocean liners, the beneficial effect, of which, on the town and surrounding- districts, cannot bo over-estimated. AVe have given practical evidence of our confidence in the future, and hacked by a progressive harbour policy, and wo are sure that our confidence will prove to be justified. "We would like to state here that, whilst competition with other local freezing interests is inevitable, we believe that the expansion of the districts, of wiicli Wanganui is the natural 'outlet, will be such that the very near futuro will prove that there is ample room for all.

A Purely New Zealand Concern. | "I would now like to say a few words in regard to various allegatiwis and statements which have been freely made, that this company is under the control, or is even part and parcel of, what is commonly designated as the American Meat Trust. It has, further, to our definite knowledge, been freely stated that even if that is not so, the money for these works has been provided' from that quarter, and in addition there has been, in certain districts, a strong attempt to persuade the producers to have nothing to do with us on that account. ... ~ •".Well, gentlemen, I_,wish, .to give aU

tliese statements the most explicit and emphatic denial. Wo always have been, and are to-day, a purely New Zealand concorn, in every respect, including our finance. The whole of the shareholders of the company, numbering some 1100, with the excoption of some ex-New Zealanders now living in the United,, Kingdom, are resident in New Zealand, and a very large aumber of these shareholders are farmers. When we decided to build Imlay, wo floated a debenture issue of £150,000. This was over-subscribed by practically 10U per' cent, within two weeks of the issue being opened to the public, and the subscription was entirely within New Zealand. To-day there are some 300 .odd New Zealanders holding these debentures in various sums from £100 upwards. Outside our shareholders and debenture-holders, we are beholden to nobody—save to our good friends the Bank of New Zealand for our ordinary trade requirements. "The personnel of the company, directors, and ttaff, is as purely New Zealand as could be found, and the entire control and management rests with them, aud them only. The company's works have always been absoultely open to all to use in every way possible, and the same free trade principle will, of course, apply to Imlay. We have already circularised the farming community to that effect, but since issuing that "circular we have heard so much of these false statements that I am glad of thfe opportunity of stating the facta.

"I am sorry tEat the president of a particular Farmers' Union, in a. district not very far distant from Wanganui, who instructed his union secretary not to even reply to our invitation to be present at this gathering, on the ground that wo wero 'the Meat Trust' is probably not present to personally hear what I have had to say. "Whatever may have been the real motive underlying the circulation of theso mis-statements, their continuance, should that take place, can only be regarded by us, in view of my statements to-day, as deliberately malicious and intended to damage. I feel that an ■apology is due to you, gentlemen, for introducing such a subject at this gathering, M I also feel that, • under the circumstances, I have had no option but to do so. d>

"A s I have already taken up more than my fair share of your time, I will leave further details of interest to Mr. John Roberts, of Dunedin, who occupies the unique position of being one of the original directors of the New Zealand Refrigerating_ Company—ttiu first freezing company in New Zealand, if not in the world—and who has.been, save for occasional absences in England, continuously associated with the company in its various stages of development up to the present time."

The History of the Trade. In his reply to the same toast, j\lr. John Roberts, C.M.G., who is an. identity, in the frozen meat trade of' the Dominion, gave a most interesting resume of the business since its inception. •' "Many of you," he said,_ "aro fairly well acquainted with the history of the frozen meat industry, but there must be others here who aro not, and for their information X will. give a short sketch of what look place in tlio early years when the business was first taken up. "Experimental shipments in frozen meat were made by the late Mr. T. S. Mort, of Sydney, and I think it can be fairly conceded Hat ho alone is entitled to the credit For "Eaving initiated tho export of frozen meat from Australasia. "After unsuccessful shipments, Mr., Mort succeeded in making a shipment fronv Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne by tho s.s. Strathleven in tho end of 1879, which proved a success. This shipment was succeeded by ono in the s.s Protos, loaded in the end of 1880, and tho cargo was sold in London in Jnmiary, 1881, excellent prices being got for tho mutton, as it sold as high as 7jd. per lb. "Tho New Zealand and Australian Land Company, having ascertained that Mr. Mfrrt's shipments had been successful, took up the idea of making a shipment from Now Zealand, and Mr. Brydono (tho then colonial general manager df that company) wont to Australia to make all inquires as to how Mr. .Mort's cargo had been handled. --Theso inquiries resulted in tho Land Company arranging for tho dispatch of tho sailing ship Dunedin, fitted with a freezing machine and insulated chambers. "Mr. Davidson, general manager of tho Land Company, in Scotland, followed tho Dunedin out, and he and Mr. , Brydono, assisted by Mr. John M'Pliersoh, of Totara, superintended the work of slaughtering and shipment. Slaughtcring was done at Totara, and tho meat was railed to -Port Chalmers for freezing and shipment on board the Dunedin. "Things, however, did not run very smoothly at first, as the crank shaft of the freezing, machine broke when some 1500 carcasses were on board. These had to be sold locally, so that it fell to Dunedin residents to be the first consumers of New Zealand frozen meat. After repairs ' were completed, the freezing on board and stowing recommenced, and wero successfully completed. The cargo arrived in Londonn excellent condition, thanks to tho *reat caro and attention of the late Daptain 'Whitson, who commanded ths Dunedin. "Tho following is a note of the number of carcasses shipped by the five sheepowners who joined in the venture: "N.Z. and A. Land Company, 3473 sheep, 497 lambs, 22 pigs. "Jas. li. Elaer (Maheno), 140 sheen, 101 lambs.

','J. H. Smith (Invcrcargill), 100 sheep. "Jas. Shand (Taieri), 249 sheep. "Murray, Eoberts and Co. (Dunedin), 349 sheep. "Totals: 4311 sheep, 59S lambs, 22 pigs. "The Dunedin took her departure from Port. Chalmers on February 15, 1882. " •

'•'The result of the sale in London was most satisfactory, tho'mutton and lamb averaging 6Jd. per lb. The expenses were, however, so heavy that only a little over 3 l-3d. per lb. was netted, leaving the charges to amount 10 . almost 3d. per pound. "This, in the light of late experience, seems very high as all charges on the sale of mutton amounted prior to the l}d. per lb., and on lamb from 1 3-od. to 1 7-10 d., according to weight. In spite of the high charges, tho net result of tho shipment of these carcasses by the Dunedin for mutton, skins, fat, etc., was 225. 3d. for sheep and 12s. for lambs. "The success of the Dunedin encouraged further > shipments by this vessel, and those continued until the ship was lost with all hands in 1890, the ship having sailed from Oamaru on March 19 of that year, and was never heard of again. I must mention that lam indebted to Mr. John Angus, secretary of the N.Z. and A. Land Co. for many of the'details about the Dunedin. "A second sailer—the Mataura—was fitted by the N.Z.. Shipping Co., under tho command of Captain Greenstreet, who is so well-known in tho N.Z. shipping trade at the present time,, and ■sho took the second- cargo from New Zealand, sailing from Port Chalmers on June 12, 1882, the cargo having been frozen on board. "The Dunedin can be l considered as representing the ownership of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Co., as she was owned by the Albion Co., prior to tho amalgamation of that company with the Shaw, Savill Co., and the Mataura was owned by tho N.Z. Shipping Co., $o that to these now_ dominant factors in, Now Zealand_ shipping, credit is due for having prov-ided ship^

ping facilites in the earliest stages of the frozen meat industry.

"Following these two sailers, shipments were made by the steamers, and during tho twelve months ended June 30, 1883, theso' consisted of tho following : —

S.S. Marsala 8306 carcasses Sorento ... 5838 ~ Eenstalnton 7840 ~ lonic 9591 ~

And, in addition, the Dnnedin carried 8295 carcasses on her second voyage. "At the present time, as you all know, a great fleet of steamers now carried frozen meat, and the < quantity carried by each is not limited to 10,000, but -up to 120,000 are carried. From the small beginning in 1882 of somo 40,070 carcasses, we last year (1915) reached totals of 2,929,412 sheep and 3,806,421 lambs, or a grand total of sheep and lambs —6,735,833 —and, in addition, 526,119 quarters of beef w<;ro shipped. To keep pace with the continually increasing demand from sheepowners for facilities for handling their stock for export, large _ increases have had to be provided for in the establishment of freezing works, and from tho modest beginning at Burnside in 1881 works all over the Dominion have grown, until now when there are some forty in all. ° \ ■ . "I have mentioned the part winch the N.Z. and A. Land Company took in regard to the initiation of the trade, but I think it is due to the late Mr. John Peid, of Elderslie, to mention the part that he played in regard to the early shipment of meat from the colony. Mr. Pieid arranged for several steamers of the Shire line (owned by Messrs. Turnbull, Martin and Co.) and tho first to he put into the trade was tlie Elderslie, which, in 1884, froze on board raid -carried home 39,370 carcasses. It is worthy of note that the Elderslie was'the first steamer snecially

built to carry frozen meat, and great credit is due to the designers of the ship, as tliey succeeded in producing a sliip which carried home all its meat cargoes in a thoroughly satisfactory condition.

"What a change in the initiation of the frozen meat industry has brought about. Prior to 1881 surplus stock, in excess of what was required for feeding our people, had to be boiled down, and the proceeds in au ordinary way from tallow, skins, etc., amount only to something like Bs. or Bs. 6d. for a good, fat Wether; now something like 30s. can be obtained for the same. Many of we old colonists well remember-the difficulty stock owners had to keep our heads above water, and in many cases this' was not accomplished, as. many succumbed to the severe ordeal they were called upon to go through. It is a little invidious to select any special names for mention in regard to the initiation of the frozen meat industry, but I think I might venture to .mention the lato.Mr; John Grigg, of Canterbury, Sfr. ! Win. Nelson, of Napier, and Sir AValter Buchanan, of Wairarapa, as gentlemen who have been very prominent in furthering the, interest of the trade. And we must all freely admit that very special praise must be given to the N.Z.. ana A. Land Company, and Messrs." W. S. Davidson, and the late T. Brydone. "And now allow me to add! a few wfirds in regard to_ the N.Z. Refrigerating Company, which was the first company to establish works in New Zealand. The incorporation of the company was dated August 19, 1881. The capital was £20,000, divided into 4(130 shares of £5 each. The first directors were Messrs. \V. J. M. Larnach, A.O. Begg, E. B. Cargill, Jas. Sliand, E. J. Spence, It. Wilson, and myself, and tlio secretary was Mr. W. Cunningham Smith. Mr. Larnach occupied the chair for tho first year, and after that it fell to my lot to take up that position, and I acted continuously from 1883 to 1905, the- date, on which the amalgamation

with the Christchurch Meat Company took place. Tho first steamer shipments made by the N.Z. Refrigerating Company, from Port Chalmers, were, as already mentioned, the steamers Marsala, Sorento, Eenstanton, _ and lonic. ■ I could give many more interesting details in connection with the early initiation of the frozen meat trade and tho difficulties that have been ex-

pericnccd from time to time, but time will not permit of my doing so."

Tributes to the Architects and Contractors.

In proposing the health of the "Architects and Contractors," Mr. William Murray (tho company's general manager) said: "It is only fitting that special recognition should bo paid to those on whom tho responsibility of the actual work of construction of tho big works has devolved. At no timo is the carrying out of such a work as this a light task, and in times such as these I think you will easily understand that the difficulties encountered have been infinitely more- serious and numerous than I usual. That these difficulties have been successfully overcome will be evident to

you when you see for yourselves thd nature of the task which has been set both contractors and architect. It is now just a little over 12 months ago since actual work was commenced, and to have achieved such a result jn that period, uuder such abnormal conditions, speaks volumes for. all concerned. These works are capable, without undue pressure, of dealing with 6000 sheep or lambs per day and 200 head of cattle, and if you will give us an opportunity of seeing whether we can do even more, I think we will be able to make a fairly successful try to beat even these figures. The storage capacity, a matter of the utmost importance in these days of freight shortage, is equal to the holding of 250,000 sheep of 601b.. Should the freight difficulty become; more acute, this must prove of incalculable benefit to the country generally.' Tho rest of the departments are in keeping, and although we would have liked another few weeks just to round things off. You will he able to form a very good idea of what the place will be like when quite complete. The contractors have been faced with many difficulties, hut I wish to assure them that we realise we havo got a first-class job, whihe will stand as a lasting monument to them, and of which they have every reason to be proud. The architect is so well known to myself and to the company that it seems almost out; of place our eulogising his work or his capacity and tireless energy. I havo now seen Mr. Pantpn supervise our extensions, alterations, and building work at our various southern works, for nearly 20 years, but this great work is the latest and greatest testimonial to his knowledge and skill, and I am sure "wilt testify to that effect in a much more, convincing manner than I can do in a. few words now. I have much pleasure in asking you to join with us in drinking to the health of the contractors. Messrs. Russell and Bignell, and witlr the toast I couple the name of Mr.Bignell, and also to our architects, Messrs. Walter Pantoa and Son, with, which I couple the name of our valued designer and specialist in freezing works, Mr. Walter Panton.''