Newspaper Letters 1903

Frozen Meat Distribution.

Reprinted from Daily Telegraph, 19/9/03.

(To the Editor).

Sir, – On Wednesday last at Hastings Mr Cameron asserted that “New Zealand meat was not distributed to more than a dozen towns of a line struck east and west from a point 50 miles north of London.” This is a most astounding assertion to be made by a lecturer with “ Meat Distribution ” as his text, as presumably he would have taken some trouble to ascertain the true position of affairs before attempting to instruct others. I have a pamphlet by me (copy enclosed) headed – “A specimen day’s delivery to country buyers by the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Co.,” which indicates that in one day this company supplied over 100 towns north of the line indicated by Mr Cameron as “getting no New Zealand meat.”

It seems reasonable to suppose that, if over 100 towns were supplied in one day, at least three to four times that number would be supplied during the week by the C.C. and D. Co., say between 400 and 500 during the year. To add to this I may say that, although the CC. and D. Co. are the largest distributors of colonial meat in London, still there are a number of other large and small distributors who, in the aggregate, no doubt distribute considerably more than the CC. and D. Co.; thus, it would appear to be probable that at least 1000 towns are supplied with New Zealand meat in a district that Mr Cameron says is represented by “only a dozen.”

The greater part of Mr Cameron’s address gave me the idea of having been written at least fifteen years ago, at which date many of his remarks would have had much more point than they have to-day. Thanking you in anticipation, – I am, etc.,

W. NELSON.
Tomoana, Sept. 18, 1903.

Telegraph Print, Napier

GRADING MEAT.

Reprinted from Daily Telegraph 23/9/03.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, – Mr Cameron, at his Hastings meeting last week, was much applauded for the suggestion that we “ought to have Government graders to grade all meat for the Home market.” Why the applause puzzles me. Any manager of freezing works knows how difficult it is to get a grader. We have had men from all parts of the colony, have imported one from London, and yet we can only raise one for each of our works good enough for the job. Now supposing Government grading to become law, then the Government must be in a position to supply seventeen capable men right away, and whether capable or not we are to submit our mutton to the tender mercies of the Government representative, a process which might not entertain the Hawke’s Bay sheep-owner so much as Mr Cameron’s proposal did.

Mr Cameron said in answer to my objection that if it were necessary to grade butter it was equally necessary to grade mutton. It requires no argument to show that the cases are not parallel. While on this subject I would like to refer to another remarkable phase connected with it. There seems to be a popular belief that neither of the Hawke’s Bay Companies know how to grade properly. Now, it so happens that Nelson Bros. were the inventors of the grading system and many years back, when they were purchasing meat largely from the Wellington Meat Export Company, that company actually said it was impossible that grading could be carried out as Nelson Bros. desired, and yet they are the company held up to the public as model graders, whereas Nelson Bros. have graded longer than any other company in the colony, and to the best of my belief the North British Company have graded ever since they started. – I am, etc.,

W. NELSON.
Tomoana, Sept. 22nd, 1903.

Telegraph Print, Napier