H.—l7

4

When these papers are published in extenso, they will afford a valuable study for refrigerating engineers throughout the world. The section comprised papers on the construction of stores, the various insulating materials, a full inquiry into the question of insulating and the various classes of materials, methods for testing insulation, especially those required to preserve the woodwork of steamers and of freezing-chambers not constantly in use. Many valuable lessons will be learned in the future as to the construction of buildings and the application of machinery, which were not available heretofore. The Third Section dealt with the question of the refrigeration of food in its various aspects : first, as applied to abattoirs, markets, dairies ; also the refrigeration applied to the storage of eggs, fruit, butter, fish, meat, and storage of game for a longer period. These various questions interested the countries of Europe to a greater extent owing to the quantity of meat that is held in chilled conditions for a short period. There was considerable discussion as to refrigeration applied to the manufacture of butter, most of the European countries being largely interested in this discussion. There was also, under this section, the question of victualling the armies, which will, no doubt, be considered very fully in the future, the advantage of the saving to be gained by keeping supplies in cold-storage being considered to be great. The fishing industry, which is of such interest in and around Europe, also called forth considerable discussion and many different views. Section 4 dealt with refrigeration applied to industries other than that of food, such as the retardation of the flowering of plants, the preservation of flowers, the keeping of bulbs. Ice-making came under this section in all its aspects, such as purity, economy, and methods of refrigeration and clarification of beverages, and the application of cold to breweries and to wines ; and also the use of cold air in the manufacture of iron, of paraffin, as also that of matchmaking, were all subjects which were novel as they were interesting. Section 5 was one of the most popular in the whole Congress, relative to the transport of refrigerated goods. Under this section came the proper carriage of fruit, including bananas and apples. Considerable information was derived from the American experience of carrying fruits from San Francisco to New York, an interesting paper on this subject being read by G. Harolf Powell, Pomologist, United States Department of Agriculture. The carriage of meat by sea and the proper insulating of steamers created considerable discussion. The Lloyd's representatives were there, and pointed out how, with the present methods, determining and locating damage was very defective. Unfortunately, this was a subject which did not appeal to the majority of Europeans in the Conference. A paper read by James T. Milton, chief engineersurveyor to Lloyd's Register ; also one on the risks involved in the carriage of refrigerated cargoes, by W. Lund—these papers will be of great importance to the colonies when they are printed in extenso. G. Troubridge Critchell, of the Australian Pastoralists , Review, had prepared the general statistics of the British import of refrigerated food-produce, which showed that in the short time this industry Lad been in existence—namely, from 1880 to 1907—it had formed no less an amount than £387,986,553 of the value of the imports into Great Britain. This fact came as a great surprise to the various European delegates, and showed to what an extent this industry had grown, and the manner in which the British nation had availed itself of an industry which was really invented by other nations. Many subjects discussed in this section were purely of a local character, and did not affect the large refrigerating industries of North and South America and the colonies. Section 6 : This section had delegated to it all questions which would require legislation in some form or other to bring them into practical use. The question of legislation was certainly referred to in some of the other sections, in connection, for instance, with the difficulties that Russia experiences in sending her frozen produce, such as eggs and game, to Paris. It seems strange that the same cannot be sent direct, but has to come to England and be transhipped to Paris. Another strange law is that eggs have to be sold within a few days of arrival in the country, completely defeating the benefit of cold-storage. Many of these questions from Russia were therefore referred to Section No. 6. The principal paper, however, under this section, was one by T. B. Proctor of the C.C. and D. Company, on the value of refrigeration of the food-supply of the poorer classes. Other papers were more of a local character, or referred to particular rules and regulations in reference to cold-storage, and the holding of goods, or the selling of game, &c, out of season. The paper probably of most interest to the colonies was that on meat-inspection from an international standpoint, read by Gilbert Anderson, the official representative of the Dominion of New Zealand. Mr. Anderson gave a resume of the growth of the meat industry in all parts of the world, but particularly concerning New Zealand, showing that when sheep were first exported from that country there were 12,190,215 sheep in the country. Since then, over 58,000,000 have been exported, and yet in 1907 the sheep in the country were 20,983,772. He also showed the great growth in other countries ; the benefit to the public in general and to the poorer classes of having sheep food ; and showed that the agrarians need not fear the introduction of frozen meat, as the experience of Great Britain was that the price of stock had been fully maintained, even though the import of meat into Great Britain was something like ten million carcases of sheep and lamb annually, and something like two million quarters of beef. Mr. Anderson recognised that the meat-inspection laws in France, Germany, and Austria were scientifically correct, but showed that the restrictions and local conditions were such as to make the importation of meat almost impossible ; that, in view of the many scandals in regard to meat trusts and meat-inspection, the only method was for an international standard to be adopted ;