|
Rushden Echo, 2nd May 1924, transcribed by Kay Collins
Letter from New Zealand
Sir, My brother, Mr H Burfield, recently resident at Cromwell-road, Rushden, has arrived safely in New Zealand and is now established in Hastings, Hawkes Bay. He is wonderfully impressed with New Zealand and delighted with the glorious sunshine and climate generally, as compared with the old land.
Having had time to consider the circumstances, he is of opinion that did the working men at home realise the benefit they would undoubtedly derive as a result of it, and they thoroughly understood the meaning and effect of it, they should vote unanimously for some measure of Protection.
This is merely by the way, because my brother recognises that the working man in England must be educated up to the fact that, while Free Trade, with the conditions which prevailed 100 years ago, was an excellent thing for England and for its working classes when they ran the workshop of the world, all that is now changed, and what was good 100 years ago is of no use to them whatsoever as the trade of the world exists today.
My brother informs me that the prevailing impression at home is that the meat from New Zealand which reaches them is only the rejects, which the people here won’t have at any price, and which is killed here and packed off under any sort of insanitary conditions for consumption at home.
Now sir, your readers may be sure that there was never a more mistaken impression, and with your permission I should like to make public there some of the facts bearing on the killing and preparation of meat here for the home market. In the close vicinity of the town where I live (Hastings) there are three very large freezing works, at each of which they slaughter and freeze up to 5,000 sheep and lambs a day throughout eight months of the year. All these are picked from the flocks of the producers by experts in their business; they handle every animal in the yard, and only those which reach a certain standard of excellence are accepted. The sanitary condition of every freezing works in New Zealand is subject to the constant supervision of Government inspectors. The water supply and all other appliances which go to promote good sanitation and cleanliness are the very last thing in every freezing works, and the animals are slaughtered under the most hygienic conditions. Immediately after slaughter every carcase is examined and criticised by a Government inspector, and none which is other than absolutely healthy is passed, and none may be exported unless it is branded with its certificate that it has been killed at a licensed freezing works or public abattoir. All animals condemned go straight down the “shoot” for manure, and they cannot possibly be used anywhere for human consumption. Many freezing works have an insurance fund of their own, to which a contribution is made for every cattle beast killed, and any condemned are paid for out of this fund. Contrary to the opinion at home, there is a widespread idea in New Zealand that all the best meat is exported and we get little but the rejects; and the returns from local abattoirs, where all stock for local consumption is killed, certainly bear this out, because they show that very many more ewes (and they are mostly old ewes) and cows are killed than there are wethers and oxen.
You may take it, sir, as certain that anyone in your country purchasing New Zealand meat can be sure that he is buying nothing but well-conditioned healthy carcases free of any disease or detriment, and they cannot be better. When he was recently here Mr J Jaques was shown over some of the most important freezing works during their ordinary every-day operation, and I think he would bear this out. I trust, sir, that for the information of your readers you will publish this in your paper,
Respectfully yours,
W Burfield
Hastings, N.Z.
Jan. 25th 1924.
|
