THE HELENSVILLE FISHING INDUSTRY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 15 January 1915, Page 3

THE HELENSVILLE FISHING INDUSTRY

, NEW YEAR'S SPLENDID ' , . CATCH

TWELVE THOUSAND IN ONE DAY

■JIP The old Arabian quotation of «#■■"* "No man is a ijssphet in his own ~~~ " - JliaiiSi^^^perhaps nowhere so -^fully illustrated as in Helensville ■ y:^ where only those closely associ- -^ a ted with the "Fishing Industry" realise how much the prosperity of the community depends on this trade. of last weekHhe local fleet of twenty odd boats started the season seriously, some thousand dozen mullet being re- • ceived at the Awaroa Fish Canning Factory.in the course of the day. Our reporter called- on the ' proprietor, Mr James Stewart, and was most cordially received,! and shown over the Factory, when the various details of the business were fully explained. The first thing that claims our attention is the elaborate precautions to ensue the absolute freshness and cleanliness of the fish from the time they were netted until sealed , down in the tins. Immediately a fishing boat arrives at the wharf the firm's motor lorry is despatched to carry the fish straight to the cleaning-house, where twenty or more men are employed in the busy season. It is a most interesting sight to see the speedy manner in which the fish is prepared for tinning. By a well-thought-out system each man performs certain „ operations, enabling enormous quantities of fish -to be handled \ daily. The fish is rapidly scaled, cleaned, washed, and placed in - ' boxes for carrying to the cooling . chambers, in which they are stored awaiting canning. g, ■* The.refrigerating plant is most complete. A 40 h.p gas engine $ drives a two-cylinder amonia compressor, which operates on the direct expansion system over j^ five freezing chambers, enabling { '^ any temperature down to 30 ' below zero being \ y reached. j c ,/ From the cooler the fish is LW-^^^^carrLed to the packing-room, where a dozen men rapidly slice > ---^iaio correct sifce and pack in tins, I through various machines ; which crimp, solder, and heri metically seal on the lid. and so on to a large steam retort in which they are cooked for two j hours. After cooking the tins \ are carefully tested for defects, j then labelled and packed in boxes j of four dozen ready for export. '.£, During the winter season a | staff of men are engaged making I the tins and cases necessary for ! the busy part of the year. s Five thousand cases were T" packed during 1914; the cost of I fish alone amounting to =£2,500. h- In addition large quantities were smoked, making a very generous ■'■'. average per boat of two men. Together with these sums an addition of £1,258 must be made ; for labour in the factory, making a total of £3,750 distributed locally. These earnings are only possible through having in our r midst a me.ans of at once disposieg^srfTthe large quantities of 4~s- fish *^.ignt locally, which it I wovUwbe impossible otherwise to \ . dispose of, owing to the glut from j \ ' cjther squrces which exist in the -f-^~ r": gity markets during the summer "■ months. j The local Directory shows that I-- fifty fishermen directly engaged gt\ in the industry, Allowing the --■" . usual average of five to a family, _]■■• we. find that a quarter of the ' population is directly dependent V.- on the fish trade. i' When we stop to consider the y ' number of people affected, we j have more than a feeling of " T - \ for the organising j , r . . -^■jjnd' business ability; of the man "' - a^'the 1 head o( this enterprise. , ' . . ; $o"fc passed him, head dgwn, deep in meditation, a.nd ':; J]ats received his _ characteristic t -greeting? few i-ealis how : * ■-~> much, our town owes to Mr : James Stewart. "