FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2208, 4 June 1908, Page 1

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

BUSINESS WITH MANCHESTER WHAT THE CANAL COMPANY IS DOING. Mr. J. G. Mitchinson, who w r as connected with tho frozen meat business in Christchurch ‘ for many years, and who lias been associated witli the Manchester Ship Canal Company in England, states that there is no doubtwhatever in regard to there being an outlet in Manchester for New Zealand’s frozen moat. In a communication received in Christchurch by the last English mail, ho states that in the teeming population that Manchester reaches tliero is at present a strong prejudice against frozen meat. The greatest enemy frozen meat lias to light- is the old-fasliioned butcher, who likes to go to the cattle market and greot his old friends, and do a li'.tlo speculation by buying on his judgment, and killing the beasts in his own private slaughterhouse, as his father and his grandfather did before him. In many cases this man has accumulated money. He will have nothing to do with the frozen article, and ho decries it in every conceivable way to his customers. He knows that some of his regular customers in the lamb season leave him and go to the frozen meat shops for New Zealand lamb because it is much cheaper, blit lie will not stock it on account of his strong prejudice. On the other hand, there arc some butchers who, in the early season, buy Canterbury lamb, which they keep in the back ground and supply as Eng lish. These butchers will not admittint they stock it. The argument generally used by tlie fresh meatbutchers is that they are two distinct trades ami they will not mix. Many butchers admit that- they made a very great mistake in not introducing frozen meat when it first came into the country. In holding off in this direction, they have allowed tho big company retail butchers to come in, and, by opening good, attractive shops, and making good, clean displays. to take the trade. The best trade has gone from the small butchers, and .is now in the hands of the (Companies, which, Mr. Mitchinson believes, saved the situation by tho attractive way in which they offered the meat. , Manchester, lie adil3, is admitted bv everyone to bo tho centre from wliicli the meat for the North of England should be distributed. All tho large meat dealers have stalls in the Manchester market, or offices for distributing to . the inland towns. In spite of that, a number of butchers, from, old association, go to Bui'kenliead - once or twice a week for their supplies. Ho feels that it will bo difficult to induce these men to break away, although tho rail charges are much easier from Manchester than from Liverpool. The Canal Company and the Corporation of •Manchester aro doing all in their power to make Manchester tho greatest distributing centre in England, except London. The Company has built a. largo refrigerated transit chamber for sorting frozen meat and produce before delivery to railway waggons or carts. This siied has a capacity of 85,500 cubic feet, and provision is made for further extension ■when required. These are excellent facilities for storing frozen produce. The Union Cold Storage Company has erected a cold store at'the Manchester Canal Docks, capable of holding 175,000 carcases. Alongsido that store large steamers can bo berthed and discharged. The same company has eight cold stores in Miller Street, Manchester, with a capacity of 80,000 carcases, and tho Manchester coporation : lias within easy cartage distance from the docks cold storage accommodation for 120,000 carcases of sheep at its. extensive market and abattoirs. Tho Manchester corporation abattoirs and meat market; together with their cold store, is second only to Smitlffield, London. The daily hanging of meat there is greater t-lian in any market in the Kingdom except Smithfield. The output'is enormous. 11l audition to these abattoirs tile corporation has erected at tho Trafford Park Estate, 'on the banks of the-canal, at Mode'Wheel, a foreign animals wharf and cattle lairages to accommodate 1850 cattle and 1500 sheep. There is every equipment for expeditiously landing. sorting, and slaughtering animals by day or night. .The market is described as one of the most complete of its kind in the Kingdom. Special meat trains leave the wharf for London and other places as required. Recently an arrangement lias been entered into to bring a regular weekly supply of at least- 500 cattle a week, 'i'llls alone should attract to Manchester butchers who should, besides buying their fresh beef, get tneir supplies of frozen mutton and lamb there. The cost of sending meat- from Birkenhead to Manchester is 12s 2d a ton. This is saved by buying from the Manchester corporation lairagesIn regard to frozen meat from New Zealand and Australia goiyg direct to Manchester, Mr. Alitchineon points out that there is a monthly service by the Federal-Holder Shire Line, but tho great trouble, he says, has been to get regular shipments

from the colonies up tho Canal. He expresses an opinion that tho Canal Company will not bo beaten. It lias overcome many diiliculdes before, and when if lias overcome this one, ho says, Manchester will occupy its rightful position as the great distributing centre for frozen meat in the North of England.