West Coast Meat-Freezing.

Patea Mail, 24 January 1882, Page 3

West Coast Meat-Freezing.

A writer in the Wanganui Herald says Australia, has demonstrated beyond any question that meat, butter, cheese, &c., can be. conveyed to the English market in a sound condition, and if conveyed in a sound condition for per lb, and sold in the wholesale market there for 6d, on the average, it requires but little mental arithmetic to to show a profit, when the same is sold here retail for 3d per lb. We believe that our natural advantages over Australia in the production of animal food are such as to warrant us in saying that we can produce at a much smaller cost a better article than they can, our rates of carriage will not be more than theirs, so that we are in a better position than they are even for the frozen meat trade, and this trade, for the working of which we are so peculiarly adapted, we strongly urge our friends by all means to foster to the utmost. Dairy-farming—that is, cheese and butler making for exportation, we strongly recommend, and at some future time shall put forward some plans for working the same on the co-operative principle on a more extensive scale than hitherto tried. In the meantime we think something should be done locally. Wellington has formed a frozen meat company, in which many of our settlers have taken shares. But we are inclined to thirik that Wanganui should have its own company, and that works should be, established here for the preparing of stock for the London market when the direct steamer between London and Wellington arrives. . This . company would not require any large amount of capital, nor need it be of a speculative character. Slaughterhouses, with their accessories, together with a couple of small useful steamers, fitted for the trade and refrigerating machinery, which could be erected either ashore Or on the steamers, all might be had for say £12,000. The steamers could also be.adapted for the carrying and passenger trade, and with suitable accommodation would secure a large amount of the- present traffic. Again,, such a company would derive a large revenue by acting as agents and

salesmen for those in the country, and could establish a central live stock market at their depot, in which any one could sell, and so would produce a class of buyers who would, of themselves, for their own benefit, develop the trade and find out the best markets. And it would be to their interest, as also in their power, in time, to inaugurate a direct steam service between Wanganui and' London.”

Patea district has advantages of its own, and has no absurd dream of admitting steamers from Home alongside its wharves.