THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1449, 6 August 1883, Page 2

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

MEETING AT FEATHERSTON.

A meeting of persons interested in the above question was-held at Featherston on Saturday,, about 25 being present, Mr Jas Donald was voted to the chair.

The Chairman in opening the proceedings explained that the object of the meeting was' to consider the best ngeans of assisting tho Wellington Meat Export Company by locating the remaining unallotted shares of the Company. He dwelt upon the difficulties that the Directors have to encounter through want of funds, and ■ instanced the great suocess of the Canterbury and Otago Companies which have had the wholo of their capital subscribed. He hoped the example set by the Southern Companies would not be lost upon them, and urged upon the meeting to use its best endeavors to get the remaining shares taken up, He pointed out that although the district was in want of money, the remedy was at hand, aud if support was given to the Company, the benefit would be felt by all classes. Mr W. C. Buchanan after explaining to the meeting the operations of the Company since its formation, stated that only £IOOO worth of shares had been taken up since the Carterton and Masterton meetings This he considered a mutter of great surprise, for the project now was beyond doubt an unqualified success. He drew attention to the latest information from London, where mutton had fetched 7d and lamb B|d and 9d per lb, and one of the leading Loudon salesmen had intimated that butter such as was sent from New Zealand was worth Is 3d per lb, With such markets open for produce, he considered this district had a great and successful future before it. In speaking of the permanency of the market, Mrßuchanansaid there was more likelilioofj of tjie trade increasing than decreasing, He informed thp meeting that tho Company had engaged space in the " Doric" for 5000 carcasses fo load next month, Space had also been engaged for sjjips leaving for honje in November and January next, so diat within the next five months, the Company would despatch 15,000 carcasses to the London Market. He said that bliaw Saville & Co., aud the Albion Company, were about to charter steamships to New Zealand, the first of which will arrive here in November, and then ■ no doubt, with such a fleet of steamers between the Colony and England, there would be no difficulty in finding space. He dwelt upon the enterprise .of the He\v Zealand Shipping Company in inaugimtinglihe'ijirec!; steam service any sijbskjy, ant} said the Government were about to recognise it by giving tl)eir( tj|o whole of the. Goyernnjent cargpes and, emigrants for qnp yep. jjjomp people had said, why not Jeavp t])is trade to business niciy aainc as wool and other things. He (the speaker) could not agree with this, for when it was taken into consideration that'one or two works would be sufficient for this district, it would require a Company like the present one to keep down the charges, for it the trade was worked liy private or speculative Companies j they would charge what they liked, The advisability of amalgamating with the Gear Company had been discussed for 'several _ months, but he had held out against it, seeing what ij; was likely to result in, In concjusipn he drew attention to the annual meeting that takes place on the '29th"jnstant, when three directors would elected, and hoped the shareholders would one and all eitljer njake it $ [joint of being present or send in their proxies, so that Directors would be elected whose interests were identical \yjt|i their own. Mr B|icl)anan t]ien movpd'tjie following resqlutiqnthis meeting pledges itself to take sjiares in the Wellingtorf Mea f Export Company in tU(;» prppoi'tioii' bf one si]are to every 300 sj)eep, or 50 head. Rf cattle, and take ifleai}s tq ij|di|co §topkowners throughout the Wairarapa tq do the same," , •

Mr Coleman Phillips, in seconding the motion, said that if ths company I was not put on a sound footiVig stockj owners and the district would suffer for it, as there was a probability of Mr Barber turning his business over to a company: if so there would be no reason to doubt that they would amalgamate with the Gear company; the consequence of which would bo to throw the. monopoly of the trade into their hands, He stated that if no more shares were taken up he intended to work' the company with the £13,(300. He intended to be at the annual meeting, and.hoped every shareholder would be present. He said the thanks of the shareholders were due to Mr Buchanan for the energetic manner in which he had worked for thein, but it was too much to expect. that gentleman to do the work single-han()ed; it required others to pome forward and put their shoulders to the wheel, He said that although'Mr Buchanan had given., very glowing accounts of the meat trade in England, it would require a deal of watching, and now that the works were about finished in Wellington they would require works for slaughtering in the Wairarapa, Mr Phillips then explained the terms on which intending shareholders could obtain shares, viz,, tbaj; t|ie djrectyrs only intended to call up 43 10s per share, a[)d concluded by urging everyone present to do something for the company. Mr Cox thought that if the directors would pledge themselves not ; fo make the calls on the shares within a certain time it would be an inducement fop anyone to take up additional' shares,

Mr Buchanan said the directors could not pledge themselves to any-

thing that violated the laws of the' company.

Mr McDougal advocated slaughteryards in the Wairarapa, as the slaughtering Company killed what they liked and rejected the others, consequently they were sold at a loss to the owner, and to the butchers interests.

Mr Matthews agreed with Mr McDougal, From experience he could speak of the disadvantages in sending sheep to be slaughtered at Petone, 6 per cent or those he sent by the Lady Joeelyn, wereeondemned through being damaged in tho transit. Yards in the Wairarapa would be a great benefit, He then gave a return of the sheep he sent Home by the Joeelyn, 140 were sent, the expenses being . £166. He received for skins, tallow; 4c., <£2o. The meat realised in market 6|dperlb. If |d per lb was allowed for London expenses, he would get 14s per head,.and as sheep were fetching lis per head at tho time, he had noth-v • ing to complain of, iD spite of the \ excessive charges, v -.

In answer to Mr Mathews Mr Buchanan stated that the insurance by steamers was 5 per cent, by Lady Jocelyn 7| per cent, This covered all risks, Shippers would therefore be placed in exactly the same position with respect to raising money on the shipment, as though they were shipping ordinary merchandise, In answer to Mr Cox, he said if the Company had the money, they would pay for stock as they got it. In answer to Mr Jackson, he said no donbt preserving works would be erected, for when close packing was' resorted to, the meat would be cut up, and it would be essential to preserve those portions that did not realise high prices at home, The resolution was then put and carried, . The following gentlemen were then appointed a Committee with power to add'to their number, to take the necessary steps towards placing the unallotted shares of the Wellington Meat Export Company Messrs J. Donald, C. Phillips, McDougal, A. Mathews, and W. E. Bidwill.

The question of slaughtering yards in the Wairarapa was thou fully discussed.

Mr Buchanan stated that the company intended to erect works at Ngahauranga, but a difficulty had risen with respect to a siding. The September shipment would have to be slaughtered at Gear's works; after that they would erect works of their own. It was desirable, for economy, to have one central yard, and the Wairarapa settlers would have to be unanimous as to wrhfch place wo;ik| j)e most suitable, Jf tjjey fcqujd nflt'agfej) atqong tj|e!|)se|ves the cjirpcfflrs pi]!fj have to tab. a stand and face thp question on their own responsibility, and erect yards where they considered the most convenient site. He considered that the place ought to be near Featherston.

The chairman said that a suitable site could be obtained at Femside, and considering the amount of damage done to sheep on the railway when being conveyed alive, thought that a very great saving could ho effected by slaughtering in tliis district. He also pointed out fijfi't a great in ra i!w PRMjp*! ra tjje Mr Phillips \youjd. jikp jo sp/j' jj|p stockowners lpake a statu] sending stock tq tjjp slaughtering ystrdg by rail. If they were driven t|]p damage would bp'reduged to a piinir mum. Hp thought if they agreed to do this tlio most central place would be at Greytown, Messrs Cox and MoDougall would rather see two places in tho Wairarapa than it should fall through altogether. After several other speakers had advocated the site at Fernside, Mr Elgar proposed and Mr Nieholl seconded, that this meeting being possessed of information leading thorn to believo that a central site suitable for slaughtering Wairarapa stock is advisablo at Fernside, request the Directors to secure the same and erect the necessary accomodation.—Carriet], A vote of' tfianjes to t(ie concluded the meeting.