H.—3B

4

Secretary to the Treasury, acting on the advice of the estimated amounts required furnished by the Department of Imperial Supplies. In the early history of the Department a special telegraph code was devised for communicating to the High Commissioner detailed particulars of shipments, which has resulted in a saving of many hundreds of pounds per annum. Particulars of Frozen Meat in Store and of Shipments made (60 lb. Carcases). In store on— 1915-16. 1916 17. April 30... ... ... 1,792,362 2,304,258 May 31 ... ... ... 2,048,454 2,642,362 June 30... ... ... 2,165,342 2,480,846 July 31... ... ... 1,865,283 1,892.504 August 31... ... ... 1,410,167 1,396,540 September 30 ... ... ... 665,992 816,933 October 31... ... ... 199,936 367,975 November 30 ... ... ... 140,836 161,311 December 31 ... ... ... 597,817 451,361 January 31... ... ... 1,093,300 1,137,438 February 28... ... ... 1,575,336 1,901,085 March 31... ... ... 2,152,250 2,409,541 Shipments during— 191546. 1916-17. April ... ... ... 498,971 540,204 May ... ... ... 389,223 500,097 June ... ... ... 302,293 605,890 July ... ... ... 761,641 740,845 August ... ... ... 602,647 555,630 September ... ... ... 795,766 609,362 October ... ... ... 474,055 465,983 November ... ... ... 282,450 321,497 December ... ... ... 241,734 235,316 January ... ... ... 514,036 440,168 February ... ... ... 498,964 272,910 March ... ... ... 542,586 800,539 5,904,366 6,088,441 The foregoing table will doubtless be found interesting as indicating that the freezing-works were virtually clear of meat in November, 1916, and in the same month of 1915, whilst the maximum quantity of meat in store during last year was reached in May, 1916—2,642,362 60 lb. carcases —as compared with a maximum of 2,165,342 60 lb. carcases in June of the previous year (1915). The present indications are that the former quantity will be considerably exceeded "during the present season, attributable in the main to a lack of sufficient shipping facilities, and also in a degree to the increase in the number of freezingworks. It will also be seen from the " Table of Shipments " that, taking the periods ending 31st March, 1916 and 1917, that the quantity of meat shipped during the latter twelve months only exceeded the former by 184,075 carcases. Augmentation of Freezing Facilities. Synchronizing with the expansion of the Department of Imperial Government Supplies has been the increase in the number of freezing-works in the Dominion and large additions to their storage-capacity. Ten new freezingworks have been erected, of which eight are in the North Island and two in the South Island, while one is in course of erection at Whakatane and one at Kakariki, both in the North Island. There are now forty-one freezing-works in operation in the Dominion. The storage-capacity of the works has been increased within the period under review from accommodation for 2,200,000 carcases of 60 lb. to 4,400,000 carcases.