NEXT MEAT SEASON

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 238, 26 June 1918, Page 8

NEXT MEAT SEASON

STOKES TO,BE ENLACED,

It is a foregone conclusion that there .■will bo:a large quantity of meat in the cold stores at the beginning of next killing season,, and. the freezing companies aro taking steps to provide' against; a shortage of cold storage space. It is understood that conipaiiias are at pre- : sent seriously considering the advisability of at once increasing space 'in order to.he in a position,to meet the extra-, ordinary demand which is likely, to ari?e on account of the shortage : of Shipping : which may be expected next season. In past seasons, n'hen. it : seemed to be a

i N matterof importance that there should ' : : be an'increase in the cold storago oapacity of tbo ivqfks throughout the country, '. the Government assisted companies' with the building: of additional stores by adi vanoing money at a low rate of interest .; " to those companies who were prepared to i embark' on an tnterpriso to increase ' 'their storage capacity. Thoro is every '..'. reason to believe that tho Government !.' will adhere to this' excellent mlioy in • the present (risis. It is a. fact that • there are works at which the plants are i not capable of coping with increase of I "the storage space. In those''works: the ! power will have to be increased if addij' tions are to be made to'the stores. There r'' are, however, a few plants already in the ; . Dominion which are available. They: are i new plants which have never been ereotj . ed. . If'.these plants were not available there is no doubt that the Government 1. would make representations to the Im- [ perial authorities to. permit tho export l/ to this country of machinery jV to be put into the works likely to be ; most in need. of it. }■. : But in spite of all that may be done '■ . to get over the present difficulty, it is '•■■ rery improbable that the works/ will be i able to run for a full season at normal ! output next year. , 'Without a very big ', clearance of meat in the meantime, and ! a considerable increase in freezing and :,- i storage capacity, tho works wonld not be ,' ; - : able to copo with the "output for-a full ; " season. No each very big clearance is !'• to be expected, "but there is still hope J-- •' .that a .considerible quant.ty of meat r'niaybe exported before/ stcck begins to "■ come into'the works next season.