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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 60, 29 July 1912, Page 4

" THE EARTH AND ITS FULNESS." What might be described as the romantia story of one of the most important of colonial industries i 3 told in an interesting mftnner in a work entitled "A History'of the Frozen Meat Trade," which has juat been published. The inventor of the first refrigerating plant, it appears, was James Harrison, one, time editor of the Melbourne Age. To Thomas Sutcliffe Mort, however, belongs the honor of having established the first freezing works', (which were erected at Darling Harbor) in the world. Since the days when -these wonderful discoveries were made over fifty years have now gone by. On many occasions Mr. Mort, it is recalled, indicated 'his firm belief not only in the feasibility of the undertaking, but also in the necessity for such an industry. It was, for instance, at a memorable gathering in Sydney some 37 yearj ago that he said: "I feel, as I have always felt, that there is no work on the world's carpet greater than this in which lam engaged. Yes, gentlemen, I now

say that the time has. arrived—at all events, is'not far distant—when the various portions of the earth will each giva forth products for the use of each and all; that the over-abundance of one country will make up for the deficiency of another;, the superabundance of the year <rf plenty serving for the scant harvest of its successor; for cold arrests all change. Science haa drawn aside the veil, and the plan stands revealed. Faraday's magic hand gave the keynote, and invention has done the rest. Climate, seasons, plenty, scarcity, distance will all shake hands and out of tho commingling will como enough for all, for 'bhe earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof,' and it certainly lies within the compass of man to ensure that all His people shall be partakers of that fulness. God provides enough and to spare for every : creature. He sends into the world; but : the conditions are not often in accord. Where the food is the people are not, ! and where the people are the food is not. ; It is, 'however-, as I have just stated, | within.the powers of man to adjust these things, and I hope you will all join with me in believing that the first great deed is in that which you yourselves have this day bfeen partakers of and witnesses." Viewed in the light of succeeding events, this pjophetic vision is assuredly being amply' fulfilled. But a great deal, of course,! yet remains to be done. What is moß|t needed in those countries to which frozen meat is exported is a much better! system of advertising and distribution. ..As-far as some other eountrie» a'ra concerned,, Customs barriers have yf t to be broken down 'before business relations can bo established. In this regard'it is gratifying, to note that the authors of the work hold "that at no stagje of the history of the trade have its prospects as to new outlets shown such a [tendency to widen as at the present moment." Significantly it is asked: "Why should the Parisians have to eat 50,000 fyoraes a year.?" Whether the inroads rthlch the traits have made in connection! with' ■ the infltjstry. especially in 6mithfi£ld. will prove detrimental must also be closely .studied. This work — which ijt must be admitted contains gome observation's which may not be gene-rally accepted—closes, it is interesting to [note, with a stirring appeal to th* colonies to develop the chilled beef trade. r'Thore is no reason,",it is stated, "why Australasian chilled beef should mot cross the ocean and enter.into competition with that from South America. Until 'Australia and New Zealand take up this trade, one may say that the various interests composing the export meat trade there have fallen short oi the full development of the industry."