FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 83, 17 June 1881, Page 3

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

-, — ■ i. •• »■ — - • . . ; We puWieh the following, interesting letter, which was recently received by M M'Lennan. It deala with an important question, and one which ia well worthy the attention of stockowners on this ooast : — Tnpurupnrn, Carterton, Wairarapa, 7th June, 1881. Dear Sib,— l have no donbt that you h»ve watched with interest the progress already made in the export of foreign meat froih the Australian colonits, and the steps wtioh have lately been taken to form a company in Dnnedin for the same purpose. Ever Bincerthe Mortgage Company of Sydney commenced their experiments I nave, had a firnvl)elief that a great increase in the price of produce through this means was only a question of time. The Protos and other shipments having now thoroughly proved thfeßafefy and profit of the frozen meat trade, can there be any doubt as to • whether tHd eettlerß of the Wellington Provincial District ought to take the necewitry"Bl»p»a< r ow<re to make several Bbipmentt (more or less) of surplus stock next summer and autumn ? The past and present prices' of stock in Otago have been, and now are, far higher than ours, and yet a ship is now being fitted up in Glasgow,: for the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, to load a cargo in December or January. This latter Company has nothing to do tilth the Company I first mentioned. But ho.fc only in meat is our opening much bettet' than theirs, but with our j thousands of acres cf uncleared . bushlands,'what an opening for «ar dairy produce ? This latter will eventually, I feel convinced, be of greater ; importance than eren onr surplus meat I have been assured by the New Zealand Shipping Company and by the agent for Shaw, Savill & Co,, that plenty of shipping facilities will be forthcoming is soon as settlers show thai they are in earnest by proceeding to erect the_ necessary freezing works ashore. From . information obtained by the proposed Otago Company the cost of machinery and buildings would not, I think, exceed £10,000, and there ought to be no difioulty in raising this sum among settlers and business men. Until the West Coast railway is opened the freezing depot would havo to be near Wellington, and at some future time we could— if quantity of surplus justified— have one in each district. We have called a public meeting here at Carterton for 22nd inst, to discuss the whole question, appoint a^eommittee to collect information,, interview a meeting of basiness men in Wellington, and issue prospectus of proposed Company. Tfie above are merely the rough ideas of myself and two or three others, and* of course are subject to any alteration that may be thought advisable. Co-opera-tion between the East and West Coasts is at present a necessity, as neither district has a sufficiently large surplus to act independently ' with afny i chance of success. Committee or committees from your side should meet oars if possible in Wellington. I would be glad" to know your opinions generally ori'nie matter as soon as possible, as no time should be lost. Copies of' this letter have been sent to Messrs F. Jackson, Wanganui ; J. Stevens, - and E. Hammond, Bulls ; David Peat and Wm. Ldweß,Nukumaru ; Lysagt, Hawera; Moore and Carrie and' Freeman Jackson, Wanganni ; J. A. Baillie, New Plymouth ; Owen and Lethbridge, Wangaehu. Yours faithfully, • W. C. Buchanan, President Wairarapa Pastoral Society.