MEAT SLAUGHTERING IN WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2091, 1 December 1885, Page 2

MEAT SLAUGHTERING IN WAIKATO.

10 Till' hDirOll. Siu, — I notice in yoiu Saturdaj f 's issue n letter f loin Mr Roche, ad\ocating tho .speedy commencement of tlic me.it slaughtenw? bti^inoht in Wnikato. As the faimeis have only read or heard one side of the question, it i-< only fair to publish .1 few facts to show them whnt soi t of .1 concern they are putting then .surplus cash into. I went to hear Mr Saudcs gi\o .1 lecture at C.unbiidgu West on tho subject, and ho htited the butchi-n of Auckland were ready and willing to take our dead mo.it, .uul tho twenty butchers he had spoken to were ceitain t\io "l.uightoim^ business would bo a giand success He also tnod to explain to us how it would benefit the f.irmeis, and that Mr Banks had said he could sell all we could .send down at far bettei pi ices than wo weic getting for live bullocks. Now, T s.iy tho same as Mi Roche, tho mtoi'ent I takn in it is in common with other fanners. Doing m Auckland last wcok,

business took mo to Mr Buck laud's sale at Ueinuera on Thursday, aud of coui-»c, I saw ■tud experienced a veiy low mirkc\for lieef. Tlieie wcio well-bred, good qwahty bullocks from Waikato that would weigh fully lOOOlbs, sold for £'<S 10s each, fat cows weie almost unsaleable, and yet, sti.mge to say, theie were only about ")0 he, id of Waik.ito cattle in the maiket. The io-t of the \eiy laigo maiket was composed of local and ship cattle. Nearly .ill the piincipal liuteheis of Auckland weie piespnt, .iikl T put the question to nio->t of them pre>ent as fairly as I could, were they willing to buy our dead meat if we slaughtered in W.ukato and lent it to the Frozen Me it Company ? The answer fioin all of them w ithoiit exception was, "Never, as long as !we can buy a live bullock.' 1 "In the ihst plncL " the\ siid, "it is impossible to delivei mv.it in good condition the next four 01 five months, as it would go bid this close weather in the truck befoie it reached Vuckland " One butcher s.iid bullocks killed at Ann's budge, eisdit miles fi.nn Auckland, in suinmei, h.id often gone bad in ten houis after delivery, and in the chainbois of the Fio/.en Meat Cainpuiy it is often going bad with the continual opening and shutting of the doors, and they often get it 1 etui nod aftei being delivered. When I said Mr 13 inks h.id stated he could_ sell the meat for us in any quantity, thp question was asked "How can he do that when he cm not even sell hm own, and when we often receive a, message finm him offering us hind quartets at 2\'l pei lb and fore quarters at l^d per lb .' If wo do buy a little, it is only as a convenience till the next cattle s\le." Now what I want to ask is, how much is tli.it going to benefit the fannei, say 3d per lb .ill lound for his meat, and 6 per cent, commission as il^.im-t 3 per cent., the present chaifje, .\nd the iisk of the meat doing bad in transit, the unceitainty as to what day, week, oi month, the meat will be sold ? We all know the farnier is generally quite prepaied to receive the cash as soon as possible after he sends cattle to maiket. But what looks stranger still, the Fro/en Meat Company have the contract for supplying the Union boats with meat, and a steamer ai rived m the Mauukau onSatuidiy last with over SO live bullocks consigned to the Fro/.en Me it Company to supply tint contiact, as they positively lefu^e to take fro/en meat, and yet we heai of theii manager peisiiadmg the farmei« to slaughter their cattle up heie, when we have no appliances as they have at Waitira for fiee/ing meat befoie loading. I may say, in conclusion, no one would bo better pleased th.vi myself to seethe meat maiket put on a more ceitain and profitable footing, but there are a few facts which cannot bo ovei looked. Fust, the iisk ot meat goinpr bad in tiansit ; •<eci>nd, how can w« expect Mr Buik>, to sell our dead meat when he cannot sell his own?; thiid, that over 300 head of fat cattle were landed in Oneluinga from Waitaia, last week; fourth, that as long as theie aie telegiaphs and steamers, the auc tioneen will fill then yaids with live bullocks (and who can blame them); and, lastly, the butcheis will not buy dead meat if they cm buy live bullocks.— l am, yours truly, Edward Aluw Junk. Pukekura. Xov ember 30th, 1S8."». P.S.— The only feasible way to break up the piesent meat ring would be to kill the cattle .is neat Auckland as possible, and open retail shops— that is if sufficient capital could be raised.— E.S.