Page 1 Advertisements Column 6

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2009, 19 February 1907, Page 1

really an immense area of almost absolutely lovcl laud extoiuling from the sea shore to the mountain ranges—beautiful land of tlio highest l quality, and containing space enough for the emotion of a mighty city if only the conditions warranted its growth. The contrast between, 'the level of Gisborne and tlio inequalities of Auckland is very marked ; but, of course, while the position of the former is excellent from the point of view of transport, it does not make for pieturosquouoss. It much resembles the position of Adolaido,and for the same reason: tlio laying down of alluvial soil at the foot of the hills by the rivers rushing down to tlio sea and spreading out their deposits. I was taken to see the principal freezing establishment, belonging to Messrs Nelson and Co, and went with a great deal of curiosity after my reading of Upton Sinclair’s -awful hook, “The Jungle,” and my own experiences of Chicago. Of course, in point of size there is no comparison, the whole output of Now Zealand being hut a trifle compared with the holocaust daily offered up in Chicago. But that was of no consequence, it was tlio system that 1 wanted to sec. First of all our arrival (I was taken by a Government stock inspector) was unexpected by the people in charge, so that nothing could have been cleaned up or put out of sight for my sake. Work, indeed, was very slack, only a few bullocks being slaughtered and the sheep being from the great refrigerators into specially built and equipped lighters for conveyance to the Niwaru, one of Messrs Tyser and Co.’s huge cargo steamers which was lying in the hay. It gives one rather a curious sensation to stand at the other end of the long chain of supply, formed by man’s inventive genius, which ' connects the slieep which I see. on the hills yonder with the suburban butcher’s shop in England, with its sheeted carcases being chopped up for distribution at practically the same prices and in practically the same condition as they are sold to the consumer here.

Apart from the grim side of the business, the immense and continuous blood shedding and the suggestive crimson rivulet flowing steadily into the river'beside the works, there was ;in aii‘ of great' calm and peace over everything. There is nothing squalid or sordid or dirty about the place, from the rows of pretty workmen’s dwellings to the immense cooling chambers crowded .with freshly skinned and disembowelled carcases depending from rails overhead, and chilling off before commencing their journey towards the freezing chambers, where the temperature rapidly converts those fresh, soft, pink and white bodies into no bad resemblance to blocks of stone. As to the meat itself, like most householders, and without being anything of a butcher,

I I priclo myself on knowing a bit of good meat when 1 sec it, and bettor looking moat than this mutton and hoof I have never seen, even at Christmas time, at home; while its cleanliness was in striking contrast to the appearance of the carcases in many a West End butcher’s that I wot of. The inspection is of the most rigid and searching kind, for the meat must be above suspicion. And should the' examination of the lungs reveal the slightest taint of tuberculosis, tlie entire carcase is first drenched with kerosene and then cremated—every portion thereof, except the hide, which of course is no part of it consumable. But the percentage of carcases which it is necessary to destroy is very small. The conditions under which the cattle live and arc lirought to the abattoirs are so good and healthful that the inception and dissemination of disease are very rare. Of course, in this as in so many other modern industries, the value of the by-products makes the business profitable, even though the main product be sold so cheaply. There is absolutely no waste, even the blood, oxcejit that portion which unavoidably stains the floors and walls of

manure ol the strongest kuut and ol high value. The offal is similarly treated alter the tallow is separaioc] from it, and although tUijs must a disagreeable, business 1 testify that if is conducted without any otfensiveness to either smell or sight. Then there is the great business of the hides, especially of the sheep, which are chemically treated so that in a few hours the wool may bo scraped off, uninjured itself, and leaving the pelt perfectly free from trace of wool as well as improved by the process. Bearing in mind the' conditions of labor in the land of the free and the home of the brave, I was curious to see what manner of men these were employed hero. And I foupd that, as elsewhere ip New Zealand, there was a great ileal of equality between master and man, tliat labor knew its worth and was able to get that worth recognised in every needed way. No speeding up or working out here, the unions and Government look after that. I cannot say that there was very' much to learn about the simple process of slaughtering and freezing for the home market, but' there, is a very great lesson in the conditions under which it was performed and in the position of the works in which it was carried on—in the heart of the country, and close fo the sources of supply on the one hand, while on the other there was the big ship almost alongside the works, so to speak, from which cause handling; was reduced to a. minimum, a desideratum always greatly to be desired for many reasons.

MAORI THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE. By groat good fortune I Lad flic opportunity olierc'd to me of visiting two places of very great interest to all who love the primitive races and regret to see them dying out._ Now the Maori is one of these aborigines, exceedingly scarce, who seem able to absorb the civilisation of the AngloSaxon without dying out. I know that there is a conflict of opinion about this, but on the. best authority 1 am informed that "there is a small increase among them, the only danger signal being the preponderance of male births over females, a feature which the closest students of the Maori are unable to account' for. At my lectures in Gisborne I had as part of mv audience the students of the Maori theological and by tlie courtesy of the principal, the Rev. Mr.. Chattcrton, 1 was invited lo the college itself, where one of the students, a stalwart youth of about 21 years of age, gave me an extempore address of welcome in his own mellifluous language, the same being translated into fluent English by a follow-student, clause by clause. It was intensely interesting, for the Maori is a born orator. am| although I know that our staid .English cannot reproduce the flowers of native speech, yet 1 heard enough to show me what an amazing effort of diction it was.

Thou another gentlemen, the Rev. Herbert- William#, son of the Bishop of Napier, drove me out. to the Maori Clmrcli at To Aral, a building: which was commenced by the Maories in the best stylo of native art, but Retting tired of it, the artists abandoned their self-imposed task, which was unfortunate, as limy represented the last- and the host of the fast dyingout school of native artificers. But the missionary in charge decided that what had already been done must not be wasted, and a plan, was formulated whereby , the church should be constructed in Kuropean fashion, and the immense carved rimu and totaia columns so lavishly adorned by the Maori artists should be incorporated in the building. This has been done, and the result is certainly most striking.' Many of these columns, or pilasters as I suppose they should He more properly called, are trees' cut in half longitudinally, and measure well over three feet across. They are carved from top to bottom, grotesquely, floridly ; hut undoubtedly in strict conformity with the canons of native art. They are of immense value as the last emblems of a primitive race, but unfortunately even the artists who designed and executed them have forgotten what the symbols signify. This is, indeed, the case. They preserve an air of mystery as to the meaning of what they have designed, but the plain and obvious fact is that they do not know. The pattern has been slavishly followed, but tlie significance thereof has died out. And i suppose it only awaits some other Champollion to formulate a theory of derivation by means of which those grotesques may he linked on to the Maya and Egyptian works. Which warns me that" I had bettor leave them. EIGHT HOURS' DAY AT SEA. It happened, for in these matters we are the sport of elements, that it was a perfectly propitious night when I was to leuya Gisborne for Napier.