SHIPMENT OF MEAT TO ENGLAND.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3114, 21 June 1881, Page 4

SHIPMENT OF MEAT TO ENGLAND.

An important meeting of members of the House of Representatives and others was held at the Parliament Buildings yesterday to discuss the subject of shipping frozen meat to England. The Hon. Mr Waterhouse in the chair. The other gentlemen present were the Hon. W. Johnston, Captain Eussell, Messrs Beetham,, Bryce, Murray, Bain, Hirst, Tolhurst and Buchanan.

Mr Beetham, M.H.E. for Wairarapa, who had convened the meeting, explained that it was proposed to hold a preliminary discussion on the subject of the most economical and ready way of sending home shipments of meat from the New Zealand ports. He oxplained that Mr Buchanan had received an important letter on the subject from the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, and which letter would be laid before the meeting. Mr Buchanan, after a few preparatory and explanatory remarks, read the following letter:

" W. C. Buchanan, Esq., Carterton. "Dear Sib —We are in receipt of yours of the 4th, asking what has been done in the direction of exporting frozen meat, and we gladly furnish you with all particulars which we have up to date. We enclose prospectus of the proposed refrigerating company, which speaks Jjor itself, and we may say that at a meeting held to-day nearly one-third of the shares were applied ! for in the _ room, aa there seems every ' prospect of its boing successfully floated. Before, however, the machinery can be imported and refrigerating fairly started, it is likely tbat the experiment of sending Home a cargo of frozen mutton will be tried by our company (the Land Company), as our directors in Edinburgh advise us by last mail that they had arranged with the Albion Shipping Company, Glasgow, ,to send Home 7000 to 8000 carcases in the end of December or beginning of January. This arrangement was of course made before it was known that a refrigerating company was likely to bo established. The terms of our agreement are that the shipping company are to send out one of thoir fastest iron sailing vessels fitted with a refrigerating chamber calculated to hold 200 tons weight of meat, and with one of Bell-Coleman's large engines. The ship finds everything, and freezes the carcases in port as we send them in from the country afc the rate of 300 per day. This was the principle adopted in tho Sfcrafchleven experiment with a small engine, and wa. successful, but, of course, a refrigerating company, slaughtering and freezing the animals before sending them to the ship is better. The freight to be charged us is

per lb., to cover everything, and if necessary the ship will keep the meat frozen for us in London at our expense for three weeks. We have also arranged with the insurance companies afc Home to insure the cargo against decay at £5 5s per cent., and this is likely to be reduced. Mi* Brydon is now in Australia gaining .information, and will see the Protos loaded. —We are, &c,

"The New Zeatand and Australian Land Company (Limited)."

In the discussion on the letter, it was explained that Mr Levin, M.H.R. for Wellington, agent for Shaw, Savill and Co.'s line of vessels, had been consulted with, and had given his opinion that the company would be quite ready to afford similar facilities to those offered by the Albion Company, and there was no doubt the New Zealand Shipping Company would also be equally willing, and that arrangements could be made for sending away the first two cargoes direct from Wellington early next autumn. The arrangement with the Home insurance companies to insure the meat as against decay during transit, for a premium of £5 5s per £100, was considered most conducive to the success of the scheme, because on shipments thus insured tbe consignees could draw on their Home agents. Messrs Bryce, Bain, Murray, Tolhurst, Hirst, and Buchanan all expressed their views on the subject, and, on the motion of Mr Bain it was resolved that a committee consisting of Messrs Johnston, Beetham, Bryce, Murray, and Captain Russell should collect further information and lay the same before a future meeting. It was also decided that at an early date a public meeting should be held in Wellington to submit a scheme of general action.

The business concluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman and an adjournment sine die. —N.Z. Times, June 17.