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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

The Canterbury Frozen Meat And Dairy Produce Export Company, Ltd

The Canterbury Frozen Meat And Dairy Produce Export Company, Ltd. Directors: Sir George Clifford, Bart. (chairman), and —Messrs J. T. Ford, James Gough, George Humphries, J. C. N. Grigg, and F. Waymouth (managing director); N. L. Macbeth (secretary). Registered office, 139 Hereford Street, Christchurch. Bankers, Bank of new Zealand. Works: Belfast; and Fairfield, Ashburton. This large and important company, established on the 5th of March, 1882, has a capital of £100,000 in ten thousand shares of £10 each, of which £75,000 is paid up. A reserve fund of £9138 has been accumulated and dividends at the average rate of eight per cent have been regularly paid. The company's works at Belfast, about seven miles to the north of Christchurch, are erected on 118 acres of land. The buildings consist of brick freezing-rcoms and stores, slaughterhouses, cooling rooms, fellmongery, tallow works, oleo works, manure factory, and preserving house. The ground floor space occupied by the buildings covers an area of ten acres of land. Three hundred and forty hands find regular employment at the works, irrespective of the office and managerial staff. There are also five experts in charge of the various departments, in addition to the chief engineer. The company commenced operations on the 16th of February, 1883, and up to the end of that year 58,010 sheep had been killed, and so great had been the development that the number killed during 1897 was 621,609. The total number of slaughtered animals up to the end of 1897 was 4,433,772 sheep, and 41,111 pigs. In the first six months of 1898 497,816 sheep and lambs were killed. At the time when the company began freezing they had one Haslam refrigerator, which was equal to freezing 300 sheep per day, with a storage capacity or about 12,000. A large amount of new plant has since then been laid down. The present freezing apparatus consists of two Hercules refrigerators, each equal to 2500 sheep per day, one Hall's refrigerator capable of 1800 daily, and one Haslam capable of freezing 750 per day, or a total capacity of 7550 per day, and the works have a storage capacity of about 90,000 carcases. The slaughterhouse is manned by sixty-six slaughtermen, in addition to the army of men and boys who act as slaughter-house labourers. Lines of rail are laid down between various parts of the works and connect with the Government railway system. The fellmongery is conveniently situated and sufficiently large to deal with the whole of the skins in the works, and is acknowledged one of the best south of the Line. Its plant is of the most modern description and includes an improved mechanical dryer, the invention of the chief engineer, Mr. Glass. The large boiling-down establishment deals with rejected sheep, farmers' culls, and the offal of the frozen sheep, together with about 1000 boilers per day. There is a large preserving-house, where immense quantities of tinned meats of all descriptions are produced.
Engine-room, Belfast Freezing Works.

Engine-room, Belfast Freezing Works.

page 324 The products of the factory are shipped to all parts of the world. The manure department of the Belfast Works is a special feature, there being an output of about 2400 tons per annum, the whole of which is disposed of in the local markets. In 1898 the Company erected freezing works at Fairfield, about three miles north of Ashburton. These works have a daily capacity of 4000 sheep, and storage equal to 80,000 carcases. The experience introduce many improvements in erecting the Fairfield Works, which are generally looked upon as the most complete and economically worked freezing works in the colony.
Belfast Freezing Works.

Belfast Freezing Works.