STEWART ISLAND OYSTERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 267, 21 March 1911, Page 5

STEWART ISLAND OYSTERS

WHY THEY ARE "OCT." By Telegraph.—Press Association. Invereargill, Last Night. A Times reporter to-day interviewed the Bluff oyster merchants in re'garu to complaints as to the bad condition of oysters sent north. The fact that many consignments had been rejected was freely admitted, but it was stated that this was solely due to the unduly warm weather. Special precautions had been taken to avoid storage, and to ensure the oysters being fresh, but the merchants had appealed in vain to the Railway Department to carry oysters in insulated trucks, such as were used for the carriage of frozen meat. Under the existing eireumstaencs the trucks stood about in the sun and the tarpaulin coverings only added to the heat. Every Melbourne shipment save one had been entirely satisfactory, and in the case of that one the trouble was caused by the temperature of the cooling chamber being reduced to freezing point, thus killing the oysters. The Wellington suggestion that oysters of last year's dredging were put in with consignments was ridiculous, it being pointed out that it was against the law to hold oysters in the close season. Fishmongers had not been losers over the rejections, as the Bluff merchants made allowances in such cases, and consequently had made no profits this year. It was argued that if the Government took over the industry higher prices would result, and that any way Bluff oysters were got from the free and open sea, over which the Government "could claim no monopoly.