THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1912. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10669, 26 June 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1912. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

It Ims cfteiv been said, and witih a degree of ti'uth, .that the refrigerator has done mora to ensure the prosperity of New Zealand than all the legislation that lias been enacted since the iiwsipfcian of constitutional government. Had lit not been for the discovery of .this mac-hin&ry, tlio lands of the Dominion 'would he practically iimproduative, aind the imUlion* cf the Old Country would 'be sadly underfed. The history of the frozen meat trade in itself .makes interesting and plea saint .reading. Thirty years ago thef trade was practically non-exist-ent. To-day the isbipments represent millions of carcases and several millions of money annually. The father of the export of 'frozen meat in New Zealand. is admitted to be Mr Thomas JBrydonc, of the New Zealand and iAust rattan Land Company. The ship Dunodin, of about 1200 tons, coirumandedi by Captain •Wliitson, was chartered for the venture, and on 'December 7th, 1881, Mr Davidson and Mr Brydone personally stowed the first frozen ishipment ever loaded tin New Zealand, O nDecember lltli the engine's crank shaft broke, the , work was stopped, and 6-1-1 sheeip then 'in the chambers, and 3GO killed and in. itnansit, had (to be sold/ The New 'Zealainxkirs .tliermsolves were the first consumers of their own. frozen meat. A repair was made, and the loading was :oam ; plGted on February 11th, 1882, the. isliip flailed on tlie 15th of tlia:t moii'tih', and arrived in London, docks on May 24th, .after a long passage of 98 days, 'i'ho captain was almost worn out with anxiety, ntot only on account ..cf the enrgo, but from a fear that h'vs masts would be 'b-iiirnt. as the Pp'nirs from the funnel set fire

to the sails on several occasion's, O'lieo he 'had .to crawl down, the main trunk 'to alter the rireulaticu of the co-Id air, when he became .so bemumbixl by the 'fi'osb that 'ho -was only 'rescued I from 'his pcrilcus positX'.u by the mate I crawfeg in 'behind 'him and attaching ' a rope to his. lege, by which moans he |'w«js pulled out of the air trunk. JPort.unaridy the cargo, embracing 3>52l sheep and 149 lamias, belonged to the Kind Company, and 939 isheep supplied by. outsiders 'amrived in a perfectly .sound cor.di'itl-rai. The mutiton ' sold «",('; 'frffini (3d to 6Vd per lb, and the lamb frecn O'fd to 7d. The. charges to nclar'ly 3Jd per lib, but the sheen netted .somcitibing like £1 p&r head, ar.id .this lambs 10s, The value of the isheep in Bunedin t.rt that time would have only lis or 12.s per dread. Such is the. fascinating story cif the beginning of this great industry, 'Mid it affords a striking inriikwioe of .what •crJn, be accomplished by British pluck, perseverance and inventiveness.