FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2695, 19 October 1889, Page 2

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Thb following paper was road by Mr F. Hicks at tho Waikato Fanner's Club: — For statistical and other information bearing on this subject, I am indebted to tho courtesy of Mr M. R. Miller, of Hawkes Bay, the Auckland Harbour Board, and to our Secretary, Mr Tuck. With regard to the Harbour Board, I may here say that, with a view to gaining all the information I could in favour of establishing a trade in frozen meat, I wrote, asking if tho Board would, for a year or two, make.all possible concessions in favour of such an undertaking. The answer to which is as follows "In reply I beg to inform you that your letter was read at a meeting of the Board, held yesterday, when it was resolved that Mr Hicks be informed that the Board will bo prepared to grant any reasonable concession to "Encourage the Frozen Moat Trade." I will assume that Nelson Bros., or some other firm with a guarantee of say 00,000 sheep yearly, for three yearß, will erect freezing works in Waikato, and that they will guarantee the suno price per lb as is being done elsewhere. You are aware no doubt, that freezing works are twins? established inland in Hawkes Bay, 83 miles from the port. There is, therefore, uo reason why the same thing would not bo equally practicable in this district. Now, tho question is, are we in a position to give such a guarantee'.' My object in biinging the subject before you in to show that we are not only in a position t> give such a guarantee, but that no district in the colony c li do so with greater safety. This statement is based on the fact that Nature has endowed this district with one gre.it feature wholly wanting in the great sheep-breeding district of Hawkes Bay, that is it? suitableness regardless of s;as ms for growing and feeding off turnips. By this district is meant the counties of Waipn, Waikato, and I'iako. Now, let us see what we are doing in turnip cuituro as compared with what tho district is capable of doing. Last year we grew 12,U07 acres out of a total area, more or les-i under cultivation, of 253,000 acres. Supposing this was all brought under turnip--, within four years wo should havo a yeatly average nearly five times as great as we have at present. It is quit j true some of this ii unsuitable for turnips, but against this must be reckoned, if sufficient inducement offered, the immense extent of country that would con.e immediately into cultivation. I believe I am quite within the mark in saying that every acre of land put in grass immediately after turnips, or where suitable grasped with turnips, would produce double, ihe amount of feed throughout the year that we get after growing intervening crops. It is quite true that we cannot grow turnips without the aid of artificial immures, but so far from this being a disadvantage it is a guarantee of succoss. Experience has shown us that with properly prepared manures, we can grow turnips regardless of seasons, with absnlutj certainty ; the full significance of which can only be understood by realizing the position it would place us in in dealing with Hawke's Bay on a large scale. That there is ample room there for operation is shown by tho fact that last year they exported nearly half a million of sheep, and that their net increase tor tho year was close on (50,000. Auckland took 73,357 ; the West Coast. 50,3!)3 ; Wellington and Poverty Bay, 35,000 between them. The total number of sheep there on 31st May, 1881), was 2.f>52,424, which are mainly carried on 1,122,200 acres of improved land, but 2,000,000 acres more or less occupied. It must be very clear to anyone that where so much stock is carried on a comparatively small piece of country, with a large annual increase from lambing and is subject to heavy droughts as Hawkes Bay is, stock-owners would readily avail themselves of a market offered them. _ at current, rates, before the season was sufficiently advanced for them to judge whether drought or plenty was before them. In support of this view, Mr Miller, in his annual report says Immediately from the shears this past season sheep were in large demand, and scarce, but some apprehension of drought for a short time caused a large number to be offered, and prices became easier. However, plentiful rain fell, and sheep of any class were almost unobtainable." Now, sir, I contend that I havo shown that we havo at our command all the elements necessary for tho successful development of a frozen meat trade. We may rest assured that, so long as we are dependent on a market a hundred miles away from us as tho only outlet for our stock, which neither ourselves nor the auctioneers can control, (aud I am quite sure that every effort is used by thein in our interests), the country must remain undeveloped by ourselves and unattractive to others. With a Freezing Company operating in our midst, tens of thousands of acres now lying useless would become valuable and saleable. One other important result would quickly follow a freezing works here and the consequent development of tho district both as regards sheep and cattle, that is the establishment of fat cattlo sales hero instead of their being sold in Auckland, and in all probability slaughtering would be done here as well. Tin's in itself would oo uo small boon, seeing that stock would always be under the control of owners, and more especially with freezing works to fall back upon. We shall probably bo told that buyers would not deal here, and that the West Coast would do the trade. We know perfectly well that Auckland could not depend upon the West Coast for supplies, with such uncertain means of communication, and consequently buyers would have no choice but to buy where it suits us to sell. No doubt tho change would do away with the small buyers of live stock; they would have to take dead meat as many are doing now. Tho present way wa market our stock, is not alone bad for us, but is frequently attended with considerable loss to the butchers as well. In looking through the shops in Auckland one could not help but notice that a great many of the prime joints are more or less injured, which is a direct loss to the butcher. Then, again, when the market is over-stocked, butchers are almost forced to buy against their judgment when prices are ruling low, and being without proper paddock accommodation, stock necessarily suffers more or less. Before concluding this paper I wish to say that the same arguments were used when the Freezing Company was started here six years ago, and, as you are aware, steps were taken to put them in practice, but were abandoned in favour of works being established at Waitara, the result of which you are all aware. Now, supposing the Waitara works had proved a financial success, what was there in them calculated to benefit the country ? Under any circumstances it is doubtful if such n step would be desirable, but in abandoning the only possible scheme that could give us a frozen meat trade, it rendered our position worse instead of better, because, instead of being able to export the prime joints, they were thrust on our already-depressed market. Instead of placing us in a position to do justice to our rich succulent pastures by exhibiting to consumers our best meat in its most attractive forms, we were brought into competition in tinned meats with the whole world. The Chairman told us, in reviewing the history of the Company, that its failure was principally owing to the abandonment of large works, which, if carried out, would have given the Company ihe necessary stock. Now, as a matter of fact, the reverse was the cause. Tho completion of those works and a hundred others were, and are, dependent upon tho existence of a Freezing Company in active opsration. As a proof of which those who were chiefly interested in those works were the first to recognise the necessity we were under to draw our supplies from Hawk© s Bay.