FREEZING WORKS

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 560, 19 April 1913, Page 2

FREEZING WORKS

The Editor, Sir, The following information given by an expert may be of interest to your readers who think that the sea-board is the best place for the establishment of freezing works, rather than the locality when the stock are fattened. Mr Conway, president of the Manawatu A. and P. Association, stated at a meeting recently held in Feilding that "there was alwajs a great wastage whilst the lambs were being driven or trucked to works a distance away. The loss from here (i.e. Feilding) to Wellington was about lOd per lamb." It was also stated that the railway freight on live stock was 4d per head dearer than on dead sheep; whilst the back freight on the manure is absolutely saved The following is taken from the Fielding Star.—l am, etc., MOSTYN JONES.

A meeting convened by Mr W. B. Giesen was held in the Drill Hall, Feilding, on April 11th to consider a proposal for the erection of freezing works in the district. Mr Fred. Pirani was voted to the chair, and explained that it was understood freezing works were proposed to be established in the disrict irrespective of the present scheme, and it was deemed advisable to give the farmers an opportunity of considering the question. He asked Mr Giesen, as convener of the meeting, to explain his plan. Mr Giesen said he had been asked to convene a meeting of the farmers here to put the scheme before tnem. What was required was a works that would receive the support of all the farmers in the district from Hunteryille to Levin. There was to be nothing parochial ahout it. In that area there were two and a half million sheep—the biggest number in such an area in New Zealand. Where the sheep were, the freezing works ought to be. The Waingawa works had made a profit of £16,000 the second year, and paid a dividend of 10 per cent. That plant had a capacity of 3000 per day. The new scheme should provide works big enough to take all the sheep when they Were ready for slaughtering. With regard to the site, he was taking an independent position. He asked the meeting to appoint representatives to attend a meeting at Palmerston the following day, when a committee would be set up to go into the whole matter.

Mr A. Thumpson asked what capital would be required? Mr Giesen said Waingawa had a capital of a £IOO,OOO, of which £so,ooo.had been subscribed. A plant with a 3000-per day capacity would coat £65,000. There was a desire amongst the southern farmers to have the site at Foxton. If the works were established in the district, they could pay 7d per head more for the sheep than the Wellington companies, as that amount would be saved in railway freight. He proposed that the meeting of farmers was of opinion that the time had arrived when freezing works of sufficient capacity to deal with ail the sheep between the Manawatu and Rangitikei rivers should be established, 3nd that a committee be appointed to act with others at Palmerston to consider the matter. Mr J. Morrison seconded the motion

Mr Jas. McFarland pointed out what was being done in Canterbury, and stated the railway freight on live stock, was 4d per head dearer than on dead sheep. They should have the worka where the meat was grown. The output of sheep here was the largest in New Zealand, and they should have the works near Feilding.

Mr Morrison said the freezing was going to be more and more confined to fat lambs, as the wether freezing business was about done. The new works should therefore be large enough to accommodate the whole output of fat lambs in a very short time. Mr A. Conway, president of the Manawatu A. and P. Association, said it would be great advantage to the farmers to have freezing works somewhere in the district. There was always great wastage while the lambs were being driven and trucked to workß a distance away. The loss from here to Wellington was about lOd per lamb, caused by shrinkage in weight. The motion was then put and carried, and Messrs Pirani and Morrison were asked to attend the meeting in Palmerston.