THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1259, 16 April 1883, Page 3

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

w ;:; . >•■..... V v. -. '•> „ v>-.. ('Truth, 2fcnd February.) ■ A Urge^onsignmerit of New Zealand TOttttdhwasfihowniiißinningham Meat Market iaat Thursday. It was of far better quality thaii the American meat, • Strongly resembling the Shropshire breed. Itmet with* ready sale at fd higher titan the American mutton. •' The carcasses had been preserved by • ' the dry-air refrigerating process. It is *" thiridus 'thaV no amount of imported ■ meat mates tie least impression on 1 <■ *e&fl price* .k'di v ■»■:•■ (Pon, Mat February.) ■'*■ "* ' A BESFBfcATK' UNDgBTAKING. •• % '-It was 'the midnight which followed *' Wednesday, Peteuary r 7tH. ' A laden vessel arrived in the docks. Cautiously, and glancing hurriedly cm every side, as if in deadly-apprehension, the reporter cre]sV to the vessel's side and :: scribbled Easily in life Notebook: '-' The steamship Sorrefcttii; from New. Zealand; with 1 a : tsatf-^% ■". : Then the" '•'> TOporteif fled hastily 'towards the swift •• '''■%&& ihai waited for iira nmnd ' :thfi '-"• 'iloiy^i 1^ f«r-' feft I 'Wa's f 'pdrßaed ; by a ■ ?wofflfea ' f.gttofc r 'ifitk : s i' iJi blue apron, : -f^e^Ag' iX %g*iSfe/ ? u i : r Th^, ™t «iik^pynfepiJrter h^ nof Been hearet' S^tfißnce^ ■■V.cV.^/---»--v "'''But '^Ad^Jbe #ihgflfW truth' aped on; for, seated in his most se- ■" icltidedcnataber, I ' and protected by His most heavily-barred door, the editor v : nervously penned the glad report for - '■ -jJtcfes. : the editor tumself; for iiofie other bn the paper dared to face ■'■ ifche dangerous task. tChe writing ran 1 Shus i— •• The steamship Sowento, from New Zealand, with a cargo qffro '." ' 'T9ieh 'he'Wked'upl'nervqasly, for a r: «wift chopper Tiewing its Way ' -tllrrbugfc ike wall, and in another in*ttnt: he' wa« confronted by a figure j: iritfi '^' farlc blue serge apron, light j: %4ti< cottoßileeyes, 'and a gleaming ••' -'-- letafa. •'• : . ' \ "'. All " subsequent in- '■■ -i^ttirieß for file unfortunate editor have proved vainl •■' ;: : - : ' :Yet tbjß truth crept on. Under the : Govar of datkness, in the highest and . .. jpafc inaccessible eomposlng-room, a :; daring <nMttpo«^or wds apprehensively . -setting u£ type. He'had already set . up the words:— "The steamship' Sor- ... rento, from Kew Zealand, with a i ,43»3Cgi^ oi 'frozen^ — -" when the figure iwHh- the dark' blue ' serge apron, light . blue-cotten sleeves, snarpening steel, Jao^'glearaiiig'knife; stood behind him: . ..'■ ••»«'.'• THe report as to the missing . -. xM)mpo|itor hairing' gone oh a visit to . ftis auntf'at the Maelstrom is feared to be foundation. ■ ' ■ the' gbod hews sped o|n its way. *H^B newsboy cautiously hurried along, «ver and anon glancing to right and left in anxiety. His face was pale, ' jet he nobly sought to fulfil his duty. "Warijy he unveiled to the gentle reader a paragraph in the newspaper. It ran thus': — •" The steamship Sorrento, from l^ew with a cargo of frozen mu_ii;" "But the figure with the <lark ; blue apron, light" blue sleeves, sharpening steel hung from a leather thong, hatchet, and gleaming knife, - stood behind him. . .... No hope of recovering the newsboy is entertained.. Yet the message sped on until it " reached the right hands. And here it is :-— - "The steamship. Sorrento, from New I 'Zealand,' with a cargo of frozen mutton, amounting to 5888 carcasses, arrived in London on Wednesday, 7th " ' February. The average rate at which the meat was purchased by the butchers Ws7|dperlb." But now — aha ! — let the figure in the blue apron come and do his worst ! "We have told it, -and wo are prepared to die in the- execution of our duty.

An.d this is what the newspapei: (which seems equally devoted with ■. ourself) says about it:—^"The general consumer is not .likely, therefore, to benefit in the .slightest degree by this welcome shipment'; but he Wl gain indirectly, since every successful arrival of frozen meat from the antipodes brings nearer the day when he will be able to purchase it direct, and free from the intervention of the übiquitous middleman." Ah; yes 1 let us hope so. Meanwhile yeu—^you needn't, 'don't you know— tell the übiquitous middleman I—unless1 — unless he 'asks you — that 'we helped to circulate tile news. .He's a powerful jwrsbn, and there's no knowing what awftd punishment on us the. "Custom of the Trade may legalise. .