THE MEAT FREEZING QUESTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2778, 3 May 1890, Page 2

THE MEAT FREEZING QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Mr G. E. Clarke in his letter in your issue of the 29th inst., expresses surprise that I should have advised the settlers of Waikato and surrounding districts to wait till they had a surplus of 200,000 sheep before seeking an outlet by freezing. It was as much a matter of surprise to me to hear that I had said such a thing. I mentioned the number 200,000 as the annual output at Belfast and that wo at the present time at that rate had no more than three months supply for freezing. I used the number for the sake of comparison, in order to show what enormous numbers a freezing company can absorb, and what a small number of sheep we had at command to support such an undertaking. I then went on to say that when our total, roughly stated now at under 200,000, had doubled and trebled, which at the most would give a total of 000,000, and on the ten per cent basis 00,000 available for export, it would be time enough to think of exporting our surplus stock. This is very different to my stating that we must wait till the number reaches 200,000, as Mr Clarke imputes to me. With regard to the difficulties of stavting a Waikato Freezing Company, Mr Clarke doubtless is better acquainted with them than I am, but what I lay stress on is the point that the farmers should be represented on the freezing company by men of known business capacity, such as Mr

Clarke himself, if he will pardon ray so using his name, to ensure the rights of the fanners being duly protected. For my part as one likely to be an exporter of mutton in the not far distant future, I should be only too pleased to see cither or both schemes in full awing and fully maintained, as I look forforward to the export of frozen meat as the great future in the farming operations in Waikato as in other places, and destined as Mr Clarke says, to place a fair market value <m our lands. Apologising for again troubling you. I am, etc. E. B. COX. Ereshfield, May Ist, IS9O.