PRODUCERS' MEAT FREEZING WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 19, 10 June 1914, Page 7

PRODUCERS' MEAT FREEZING WORKS.

COMPANY TO iit. FuKMEiJ. PROVISIONAL DUiEOTOUS Al'POlN'liiD. SITE LEFT To EXr-El;I>. ' A well-attended and -lepre-.-cuutive. meeting of settlers «.i , held m the Stratford liurougik Copied Chambers yesterday, Mr W. A. ikOuU-luui being billed upon to preside. The notice ('unveiling the meeting, wh.ca ira.i read, .stated that "..e business was' to disius's the following recommendation made by the committee set up at ,a. previous meeting of settlers: "That it he a recommendation to the general meeting of settlers that a Fanners' .Moat Freezing Co., Ltd., be formed with a nominal capital of £IOO,OOO in £5 shares, but that no allotment be made until £12,500 shares have been subscribed; also that the site of the woriw 'be between Inglcwood, Waitara, and New Plymontn." The chairman .stated that the committee had held two or three meetings, and as a result had -brought down the above recommendations, after carefully j considering the matter. The main point was- what measure of support would be given to the project? He believed that competition was absolutely essential to enable the farmers to get the il»est treatment as to their fat stock. The Waitara works bad been a great benefit to the district, but competition was necessary. They must all realise that freezing works in other districts had been successful, and 'he illustrated the Waingawa works as «. case in point, pointing out that those works: had been started in the face of great difficulties and- keen opposition, yet last year they dealt with a quarter of a million of sheep with a capital of only £43,000. The recommendation before -the meeting was that ttiie company should go to allotment as soon as £12,500 shares had- iDecn subscribed, but he had heard an opinion expressed that it wound- he ibetter to make the minimum £201,000 shares. It was for thic meeting to decide. There had been some difficulty in getting accurate information as to the number of sheep in the Dominion, but a departmental leaflet, since issued!, sitated that 0,370,000 were frozen for export, so that the number was evidently much larger than was th'ought to he the ease. With regard to the site, there was a feeling that the works would not be supported if placed inland, 'but that if locr.ted somewhere between Inglcwood and New Plymouth, the settlers up and down the coast would take an interest in the company, and that was wliiy the recommendation was so framed). Mr W., G. Malone suggested that' it would be better to take the recommendations sectionally, and in the first place affirm the principle of forming a company to erect freezing works, leaving the question of site to be dealt w'th separately, as there would prnibably be some difference of opinion on that matter. After some di-cu-sion, the suggestion I was adopted. In answer to a question by Mr C. Young, Mr K. Griffiths explained that on £12.500 being subscribed, the company would be registered, but that the process of fiecuring more share applications would still continue ""before commencing operations. ■Mr R. Griffiths then moved the. adoption of the committee's recommendation as to t'Ue formation of a company, remarking that the placing of £12olK) | worth of shaves did not commit 'the company to anything more than being registered. Mr F. Mackay considered there were 2-1 or 23 million sheep in the Deininioii. Tn a year's time there would be a tremendous amount of freezing "done in April, May and .lune. lie c-.timxted tlw lambing average at 80 per cent. The 1 chairman remarked that the voaron why there was, no reliance io be placed on the Government returns was that-they were made up from the figures relating'to the dipping of sbieep (31st March) and many owners failed to send in returns".. If an accurate return was obtained in October, he had l no doubt it would show there were 30 million sheep and lambs. Mr Richards did not eon-ader that the number of sliee.p in the Dominion :of much concern to the meeting. It was the number in Ta.ran.aki that mattered, and as there were 719,000 in the province, assuming that the fattening capacity was equal to other .part* of the Dominion, it would give 107,000 as the number available for export. Mt Mackay contended that Taranaki's capacity to fatten sheep was not on a par with that of other places in the Dominion. He considered that the Waitara works could d'eal with all the fat stock. I Mv'O. Young saiil thai wan the I bird I meeting thev had held, and he con-'-'iclu-ed that.the" point to find out was the measure of support and cooperation which the fanners would give. Tl e question w-is not one. of figures, but whether the farmers would co-operate in their own interests and make the works a success, or leave them alone. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. THE SITE. The chairman said the next question for the meeting to consider was that of site. Mr Our'is advocated the works being placed two or three miles south 'of Inglewood. The question of fuel was, to his mind, very important, and if the flite was fixed near Ingle wood there was plenty of water power available for electricity, or the latter could be obtained from the borough. If the works were on the other side of Inglcwood. the refuse would have to be emptied into the Waiongona, and there would be trouble with Waitara, which obtained its water supply from the AVaitingoua. Another reasum was that the locality lie advocated would suit the farmers in the Tarata district. Mr Mackay enquired if the committee Utiid obtained any expert evidence with -regard to a site. The chairman: No. II was fell by the committee that it was advisable only to make a general reconaiienduti'm, leaving the actual site to be settled by I expert" l . I Mr Malone moved: "That the mailer i' of site for the proposed works he 1. it for bile decision of a boaftli of experts t.'i be' appointed by the directors of lb" company wM.cn formed, and that M'.-h board consist of not less; than three .members.'' He did not think the melting could set'le the matter, ;i,, a catch vole might ruin the scheme. The .site s'Would be fixed to suit the greatest number of suppliers, and there was, so far, no evi--1 denee on the point. He strongly deprecated a battle over sites, and urged the ■ wisdom of securing independent advice. They <Giould act on sound lines ttn-,1 broad principle.?, sinking all scUishnc--. i Mr Braiinigiin seconded 11"' mot. si. t which was supported Iby Mr W. IT. 11' Young. Mr Griffiths said 1 the question was n v rery serious one, it being absoluii'h necessary to secure unity as far as pos Bible throughout the district. He poin

-. <d out t.iat M r ratrnett. had ti.i-n vol ;' emphatic as to the feeling at Vo eml o'i the district that -unless." the site wer, "'.'ar Lcppcrton the s.-t-lei.. „-.,iih| no sujip'ort the works. ],, !„, , lWi ,] dllo and Mok-au districts the setters' had held meeting,, and taken ;. ..r, : , : interesi in Use movement, lie aihw-.iti'd settling the question of ~;i,.. \ far •!-, possible all parte of the disiiK should be considered, and us ihc lu.viing W a very representative they shunt,i .[.''their best. Mr King admitted thai: A!;- Malon-V argument as t 0 eonsidcrin/t'.„. , |m .-.t; im on broad lines was sound, but if llr south end of the district u-u .vt-roii" enough then let the works be (here, but if the northern end was to be .'epeiulvd on for supplies it was uirdlv to be expeeited that the settler< wmilil vni' stock inland and have it railed hackpart 'of the way. The works mil. t be ns near the port as possible. When can vassing for shares to be taken up t.V first question asked would l>. that of the locality of the works. He pointed out that there were thou-ands of sheep in the Ohura. Mr Maekay pointed out that nature had provided an ideal spot at Moturoa if sufficient land' were available. The less stock were thtamded the better. It was considerably cheaper to fake carcases to the .steamer by gravitation than iby railway. Moturoa was the pivot point-, and tiherefiore tile workshould be placed as near there as possible. Mr McChiggage said ho wrote fio the secretary of the Harbor Board..asking if there was any land available, and had been informedl in reply that, there was a reserve of 40 acres'on a liillsid" at Moturoa which would make a suitable site for the works, and' it could be let on lease. Tflwit site would 'be a favorable one for gravitating the frozen meat to the wharf. .Mrß. Griffiths moved an amendment: That the committee's recommendation as to the site being between Inglcwood, Waitara and Moturoa be adopted, the selection bf tflie actual locality tm he left to the exports. Mr gangster seconded the amendment. Mr Malone submitted that as MiGriffiths' motion left the selection of site to experts it wa* practically identical with his (Mr Malone's) motion. He considered that the wlbiole question of site should be left to experts without any restriction of area. The greatest good for the greatest number was the main consideration. Mr W. 11. H. Young contended that the trend to-day was towards erecting meat freezing works inland. Mr Budge favored fc experts h'avin" an wbsolutcly free hand in selecting the Site, which shlould be where it would | serve the largest number of producers. Mr Marfell pointed out that there were two places for the works—at the port o r inland. Of the two the port was the more desirable place, but if the j works were away from the port- they | should be at the centre where mios't i stock would come from. He advocated j fhe site, 'being held over, -so that the j shareholder.-, might have a voice in t'h" I matter. The chairman said that the settlers in ', ■ the AAtluingamomona and Ohura. districts j !w?e]re. |ready,"to fall in with what wUs i considered to be the best site for -the ! purplose .in the interests of the whole ! I industry. In Queensland fat stock were railed 800 miles without.being untrucked. The difficulty was the district north of Waitara. He knew its possibilities, and i that the settlers would be cointant suppliers, but he was quite satisfied tlint if ' that district was not served by the ' works being in a convenient position, | they would lose the stock. It was a t very great disadvantage to put ttic ,' works far from the port. "No objection i would be raised' by the inland districts. I and they would be content to leave the ! site to the decision of expert:-. - Person- I ally, he considered that the settlers! Month of New Plymoullh must be catered"! for to make the work* a success. . j Mr Kirkwood con-'idered that the"! suppliers should have a voice in the se- ] lection of the site, and then llhere would I be no difficulty in getting them to I take up .shares. After siome further discussion, the amendment was carried by 10 to 10. On being put as a substantive motion, Mr C. Young moved a" an amendment: That providing the produce, can b". <jbt i to ttli.o boat's, side bv gravitation, the } works bo erected within a, mile ol Moturoa. This amendment wa.s lost by 10 votes to fl. Mr Marfell moved l , that the area of selection be enlarged 'to include the district one mile south of Stratford. The motion wis seconded bv Mr Malone, and j carried by 11 viotes td 10. PROVISIONAL DTIIKCTOK'S. ' With regard to canvassing for shares. Mr Griffiths pointed out that the proper procedure was to elect provisional directors. Mr Malone moved that the following be appointed provisional directors of the | company: Messrs W. A. McOiitehan. J. ! McOlnggage, B. Marfell. A. AV. "Budge, j V,. flrifl'ilihs, Newlton King. C. Young. I W. 11. It. Young. AA r . fl. Malone. with I

power to act, and to give effect to the resolution. The motion was. seconded by Mr Budge and carried unanim'ou'dy. A vote of thanks to the chair conclud- ' ed a most .'•■atisfactorv meeting.