The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1883. MEAT CANNING.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 987, 22 January 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1883. MEAT CANNING.

In these dull-times anything to lielp the place along, ancTat the same time prove a profitable industry, is worthy of consideration. We make no apology, therefore, for calling attention to an article from th q New Zealand Herald, reprinted on the fourth page of this issue. The article goes very fully into the Meat Canning industry, and gives information which we may accept-as thoroughly reliable. One London firm states that they could sell annually £1,000,000 worth of beef pul tip as it is done in Chicago, and an equal value of compressed corned beef and mutton put up in the same sized tins as the American article,- The selling value of New Zealand meat so prepared would be in London : compressed corned beef, 21b tins, 6£d per lb ; 61b tins, s|d per lb ; 141b tins, 54-d per lb. Compressed mutton would realise somewhat less, say 21b tins, 18s per dozen ; 41b tins. 6d per lb ; 61b tins, per 1b; 141b tins, s£d per lb. Besides the above there would-’be a large trade in roast beef, in round, flat tins. These would realise 11s 9d to 12s per dozen 2lb tins ex ship. We regard this information as valuable, because it shows unmistakeably that a large and certain market exists for the goods. The next item referred to is the cost of a plant capable of turning out 5000 tins per day. This is put down at £559, to which would have to be added freight, commissions, See., in shipping from New York to New Zealand. The article then goes on to relate what Mr Griffin, the United States consul at Auckland, saw and learned while at Chicago recently, and is well worth reading. We have quoted sufficient to show that a valuable industry might be established at Patea, at a compuralivcdy small cost.

We want industries here, and such .an one as the above would prove a benefit to every fanner in the county. It would help, to keep- the market open for stock, and how welcome that would have been this season only stockbreeders and runholders, whose parched lands are taxed to the utmost, are in a position to fully realise. It will be remembered also that some short while since a gentleman was on a visit to this colony, with a view to ascertaining whether New Zealand beef could be brought into consumption in the Royal Navy, and’ that the result of his investigations was highly satisfactory. This should be an addilional encouragement towards embarking upon the enterprise. Having drawn attention to the matter, we should like to sec some attempt made to follow it up by enquiry. The prospect- of success seems to be a bright one, and the capital required to commence work is not extravagant, and could easily be raised if we were determined.. This is a question which intimately affects the farming interest, and we should. like to see ~the farmers evince a little interest in it. The Farmers’ Club might take up the subject and discuss it with advantage, and the Woollen industry might also be talked over at. the same time. We commend it to them specially and to the public generally. If we want to get over the stagnation which seems to prevail everywhere just now, we must help ourselves. The establishment of industries will assist.to. keep money and population in the place,; both, of which we stand much in need of. Apathy and do-nothiugness will drive capital and= labour away, and. with thenv will go the prospects of ; -Patea ns a flourishing little commercial centre. Surely we have enough public spirit 'amongst us to avoid . such a misfortune. Who will give the matter a start?