Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1911. HANDLING OF FROZEN MEAT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10207, 7 April 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1911. HANDLING OF FROZEN MEAT.

Mr W. D. Lysnar made out a strong case in Masterton yesterday for an improvement in the system of handling our frozen meat on its arrival in the Old Country. He proved beyond shadow of doubt that the treatment of meat at the hands of the London Port authorities, and by the merchants at the other end, is shockingly defective. The loss- to the Dominion as a iesult of this treatment must run into hundreds of thousands of pounds annually. The wonder is that it has remained for Mr Lysnar and a few enthusiasts to m;ue an outcry and to suggest a remedy. One would have thought that the High Commissioner's Office, if it was worth its salt, would not only have represented the facts in their true light to the various freezing companies interested, but would have taken such steps as would have enabled a remedy to be speedily and effectively applied. The High Commissioner's Office, however, would appear to be more an ornament than anything else. Instead of seeking to protect the interests of the Dominion, and to improve the system of marketing, it appears to devote most of its energies to keeping itself, warm. " Thus we find it necessary for the freezing companies to go to trouble and expense in securing a special representative to watch their interests, and mefl like Mr Lysnar proclaiming our disabilities and losses from l the housetops. One would have thought that, having drawn pointed attention to the serious defects in the marketing of our produce, Mr Lysnar would have been satisfied to leave the rest to the companies who are specially interested. It has been demonstrated

conclusively that most of the frozen meat which reaches London from this country is the property of the Companies, by whom it has been bought and paid for. In individual cases, such as Gisborne, it may be that owners ship largely on their own account. This is the exception rather than the rule. While, however, a large proportion of the meat which goes to London belongs to the Companies, the producers have a very direct interest in seeing that the best prices are obtained, for it is upon these prices they are paid for their sTTeep and cattle at the works. How can this interest be best protected ? Can it bo expected that a man from Now Zealand, without experience or status in the industry, can influence the London Port authorities or the merchants ? Commonsenso dictates that it cannot. What, then, can be done to improve the position? The freezing companies recognise their responsibility in the matter, and intend securing the services of the best man available in London. But even this may not be. sufficient. Tjie companies should be backed in their efforts by the Government of the country. The High Commissioner should be told plainly that he must co-operate with the representatives of the companies. If this were done, there would be hope for immediate improvement. So far as the producers are concerned, they would be well-advised to content themselves with agitation. Anything more than this would be wasted energy.