THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3776, 22 August 1883, Page 3

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

AVellington, This day

Tho following is an extract from a letter dated London," 11 th July, ISB3, from 3lr John Reed, of Eldcrsiie, Oamaru, to an 31.11.11., received on 3londay :-—" The Fcnstanton arrived Avith her cargo of mutton in splendid order. I got a number of gentlemen to go down Avitli me to the docks, and avc inspected the machinery and the meat in the chambers. IvTy friends Avere both amazed and delighted with the simplieily of the Avliole affair. The sheep looked beautiful in the hold, all lying stacked up in their Avhitc calico bags Avith a slight coating of snow over them. I got one of my oavii and had tho bag stripped off. It looked as if it had been killed only the day before. They are selling rapidly 500 to 1000 each morning at Snvithfield at OMper pound tiA'eragc, and the meat salesmen there, with Avhom I have had several conversations, tell me that it is the finest mutton Avhich has ever conic to London market : that they Avould be Aery glad if thoy could depend on regular supplies so that (hoy might make contracts Avith public institutions and other large consumers, but at present they cannot take such contracts owing to the intermittent nature of the supplies." I informed them that our capabilities of producing I hat article Avere very great, but avo could not get ships to lake it away ; that Avhonever that difficulty Avas overcome and plenty of vessels fitted Avitli refrigerating machinery we could send then large and regular supplies. lam convinced that this trade is uoav completely assured, and that it -will dcvclope into large proDortions."

31 r W. V. Jackson, the late chairman of the AVcllington Harbor Board, writing from London to a friend in this city, sends the following interesting and important information relative to the latest improvements in regard to meat-freezing apparatus:

—" I saw Mr Larkworthy, avlio told me that a. firm at, Birmingham had patented an improvement in machinery for refrigerating purposes, so that it can be Avorkcd for less than one half the cost of that on the old principle. The ucav machinery "will take only half the room, use about half the quantity of fuel, aud have power enough to freeze double the quantity of mutton or beef: consequently, the charges for freight will be considerably reduced. An order has been given to apply the uoav machinery to one of tho Ncav Zealand Shipping Company's vessels, and it is expected it -will be fixed in lavo months' time. This should bo interesting news to the colony at large, and prove of great benefit to Ncav Zealand."