The Fishing Industry.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4878, 22 August 1884, Page 2

The Fishing Industry.

ERECTION" OF IiEFfiIGERATING ;' APPARATUS.

Some months ago we mentioned that two of our fishing-smack owners' were about to introduce an ice -making maohine /or the purpose of better prosecuting the industry (especially in summer), and of , regulating the supply to the Auckland market. The difficulties under which those wlio make the pursuit of the finny prey their means of living labor,are not generally known, but when it is remembered that the article beipg so perishable that it must be sent away.to Aucklacd at once and ther.e sold without delay, it - will-bi seen that the fish-hawkers atpressnt have the trade in their own hands, as when a 'large supply of fish arrives they simply bid their own price for' it, knowing that the article must be sold, or else it will go bad. Messrs Payne and Shepherd, having suffered from this stats of affairs, determined to carry oh matters on a basis which would give the fishermen a fairer proportion of the price, at which their fish were sold retail. They;. therefore ordered an ice?makirig machine from Messrs Ingram and Co., of Auckland, and after considerable delay it came to hand, with a boiler and an engine, and was erected in a shed near Shortland Wharf. The machine is bj West and Duyallon, of Lambeth, England, and is capable of making about 5001 bs of ice per day. The motive power issupplicd by an 11-inch cylinder, with a 22« inch: stroke, and the st'eiam; is generated in a vertical boiler, for which 501bs pressure per inch is allowed;; though it is not expected that mor^'than 251bs will be needed. Steam wasi got up in the boiler to-day, and the. engine worked:verysmoothly,but the -ite'-'i quitereadyy^t,though it is expected a start can be taiade with that to morrow morning The fish will^be; placed in a, chamber, with. very; thick walls, land ice packed inhere jwiH reduce th^)temperature to belpyr freezing pdmt, vthusk keeping : them per^ fectly fresh, and-; enablingthe jproprietors (whop^:several;b6ai^)"jtq(S&iad it regular t(^ Aubklapa, (6r my other marked which may offer, The fish, on being aehti? ftw»jv wilY b© packed witl» iofj and a«:

there is aiso^a freezing''obamber in Ai-ck-•land'.-thcy carf be kept /perfectly fresh for as long;:a;-period as desired... This arrangement will also be a-great advantage toi-the fisliertapn; os they will be able to carry on bperatinns' solely in the daytime, and will also bo able to fish right up to Saturday, whereas at:present they seldom go = out after Thur?day, being unable to get rid of their fish if they catch them later in the week than this. We wish the promoters of this new industry every success, aud hope they will be rewarded as their enterprise deserves. : ; r