FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Patea Mail, 16 June 1881, Page 3

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Mr Buchanan, president of the Wairarapa Agricultural and Pastoral Association, considering co-operation between the East and West Coasts necessary to the successful initiation at the present time of the meat freezing industry, has sent circular letters to leading settlers on the West Coast, residing at Manawatu, Wanganui, Patea, and Taranaki, as well as to the various Agricultural and Pastoral Associations. Mr Lysaght, of Hawera, is among the settlers written to in Patea County. After referring to the action of the Australian colonies in x’egard to meat freezing for export, and to the proposed Otago company, Mr Buchanan says: The Protos and other shipments having now thoroughly proved the safety and profit of the frozen meat trade, can there be any doubt as to whether the settlers of the Wellington Provincial District ought to take the necessary steps at once to make several shipments (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 tbe New Zealand and Australian Land Company, to load a cargo in December or January. This latter company has nothing to do with the company I first mentioned. But not only in meat is our opening much better than theirs, but with our thousands of acres of uncleared bush-lands, what an opening for our dairy produce ? This latter will eventually, I feel convinced, be of greater irnpoitance than even our 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 wilTbe forthcoming as soon as settlers show that 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 £IO,OOO, and there ought to be no difficulty in raising this sum among settlers and business men. Until the West Coast railway is opened the freezing dep6t would have to be near Wellington, and at some future time we could—if quantity of surplus justified—have one in each district. Wo have called a public meeting here at Carterton 22nd inst, to discuss the whole question, appoint a committee to collect information, interview a meeting of business men in Wellington, and issue prospectus of proposed company. The 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-operation between the East and West Coasts is at present a necessity, as neither district has a sufficiently large surplus to act independently with any chance of success. Committee or committees from your side should meet ours if possible in Wellington.