THE MEAT INDUSTRY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8792, 20 April 1907, Page 3

THE MEAT INDUSTRY.

Impressions of an Imperial Officer.

I The representative of the British ■War Office, who is paying an official ■visit to the meat export works of Ithis country, Major Long, has roItnrucd to AVelliugton after inspecting I the works of tho South Island and I those of the Wellington province. I Major Long readily gave expression Ito the views lie had formed on .what [he had seen. He is a gentleman capable of forming an opinion on the 'subject ho is investigating, as he made a special study of it in order to pass the examination on meat inspection required for qualifying as an officer of the Army Service Corps. In all the works I have inspected, said Major Long, tho sanitary arrangements are excellent, and tho Government inspection is admirable ; there is no “boodling” about that. It is very well conducted, a keen supervision being exercised over all moat slaughtered. Thou, the meat companies, on their part, are apparently anxious that nothing but the best quality should leave the colony. , ~, . Prior to leaving England Major Long studied tho methods in vogue at Deptford, where all the live stock imported from America to England is slaughtered. Asked as to how the arrangements and procedure at Deptford compared with tho conditions at Mew Zealand meat works, Major Long said a comparison was all in favour of Mew Zealand. The real mission of Major Long is to enquire into the canning business. This lie has found, of course, to ho a mere secondary consideration in the Mew' Zealand works. But this department, as it is, lie found to be conducted in thoroughly up-to-dato manner. He was much impressed with tho methods employed and tho sanitary arrangement of 'all the canning departments. Nothing, considers Major Long, could bo more satisfactory. From what he saw, there is apparently a much better class of meat iised here for canning purposes than in America. And speaking of the quality of the meat used, Major Long was reminded of tho frequent use of the term “reject” in connection with the frozen meat business. This, ho considers, is a word conveying an absolutely wrong impression. To the ordinary lay mind the term would bo associated with unfit for use, whereby it merely means a carcase which has been slightly bruised in travelling or handling, and is quite suitable for canning or for a critical local trade. Major Long found much to admire in the fine freezing plants of New Zealand, and in the way in which they are managed. In a few cases he found the promises rather old and requiring to he renewed, but they were all very clean. Nowhere in the world, lie believes, would there bo found works of a higher standard of efficiency. Every facility, said Major Long, has been afforded me by the Government, and I have been enabled to obtain a thorough insight into, tho business in which I am concerned. P The question of whether New Zealand will have an opportunity of supplying tinned meat to the British Amy is cno which depends entirely on tho price at which it can be supplied, Major Long points out, for price, given satisfactory quality, must naturally decide the source of supply.—N.Z. Times.