FROZEN MEAT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3086, 17 May 1917, Page 7

FROZEN MEAT

A QUESTION OF FINANCE BIG STOCKS HELD ' The Hon.-A. M. Myers, Acting-Min-ister of Finance, before leaving for Auckland yesterday, informed a reporter that the important question of the basis of financial liability for meat in cool store had, in his judgment, been satisfactorily solved. . It is understood that strong representations have recently been made to the Government on this matter in view of the delay, caused by tho shortage of tonnage, in clearing the meat out of store and into the ships' holds with the celerity that the circumstances require. .The Minister said representations as to the financial position with respect to meat in tho stores had been made by the Government to tho Minister of Finance (Sir Joseph Ward) in London, and negotiations had been goine on with_ the object-of solving the difficulty of liability. Although these negotiations are not vet quite complete, mat. ters nre sufficiently advanced to justify the statement heint; made that very substantial funds had now been made available by the Imperial Government as, payment on account for tho meat to' he shipped on its behalf, for distribution among the various owners of the produce, i.e., freezing companies and others concerned. . As various details have still to_ be settled, the-Min-ister added, nothing mere definite oan he said upon tho matter at the present ■moment. '■ In view of tho rocognised shortage of shipping space for Dominion produce; the following figuree will be interesting. They show the quantities of frozen meat in store on April 28, for which no space allocations havo been made:— ■■■ ■ -, ' North Island.—Quarters of beef. 380,742; wether mutton, 478,254 carcasses; ewe mutton and lamb, 749,294 carcasses; other'meat for Imperial Government, 19,493 carcasses; total,-1,636,-783 carcasses. Storage capacity (excluding freezing chambers) for tho North Island, 2,879,011 carcasses. (South Tsliind. —Quarters of beef, 17,.572; wether mutton, f19,353 carcasses; ewe'mutton and lamb, 891,981. carcasses; other meat for Imperial Government, 9372 carcasses; total, 1.015,■278 carcasses; storage capacity, 1,491,960 carcasses. Grand totals: Quarters of beef, 407,314; wether mutton, ,577,607 carcasses; owo mutton and lamb, 1,641,275 carcasses; other meat for Imperial Government, 28,865 carcasses: total, 2,655,Ofil carcasses. Storage capacity: 4,370,071 carcasses.