The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1883. THE FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1064, 25 July 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1883. THE FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY.

It is fervently to be hoped that the communication opened with the Wellington Meat Export Company will lend to something practical. Mr H. F. Christie, who has taken the matter in hand, seems determined about it and it is owing to his perseverance that he was able to extract a reply, from the Company that the cost of works here would be about £4OOO. He telegraphed first to the secretary and that official replied in true official style by a letter which meant nothing. He wrote, “ I Lave to say that several similar applications have been made to this company ; but,- as the subscribed capital is at present insufficient to establish branches at various points, the wishes of your settlers in this respect could only be given effect to by their coming forward to take up further shares in the company, when, I have no doubt, arrangements mutually satisfactory could be made, which would enable stockowners in your district to ship frozen meat by vessels from this Port.” Not deeming this sufficiently .explicit, Mr Christie wired again to know how ranch money would be required, and to this came the rather superflous reply, “ Sufficient to provide the extra works required by your district.” Mr Christie was not satisfied with this, and again addressed the Secretary of the Company, when he learnt as stated in last issue that the probable cost would be £4OOO. From the way in which the question was “fenced,” we should imagine that the gentleman at Wellington did not know very much about it, and we should not be at all surprised to hear, upon investigation, that his. estimate of £4OOO was .considerably in excess of the’ amount actually required. However, whether or not, that is the case, it remains now to canvass the district and see what sum settlers are willing to subscribe towards getting works here. Hawera is going in for a company on her own account, and we hope to see that in working order before long, because the more openings there are for consuming meat, the better for stock owners. But we must be up and stirring, if _we intend to keep pace with bur neighbours. We might get a quotation of cost from the Auckland., Company because they view Patea district with favour and are anxious to extend commercial relations in this direction. We notice that a correspondent in this issue objects to us subscribing £4OOO in a Wellington Company and suggests that if we could get that sum together we might have a local company. We should imagine that it would be better for financial reasons to take shares in a larger concern. If works are built here by the Wellington or Auckland Company with locally subscribed capital they will virtually belong to local shareholders with the advantage that there will be a larger amount of capital. available to work them than if we only had a small local concern. However, we hope to see this matter gone into fully, and opinions expressed by those more competent than ourselves to give them. Meat freezing is the question of the day so far as concerns the prosperity of this coast, and, with two powerful companies on either side of ns, surely we can arrange so that we may work with one of them to secure the benefits of. the trade.