1918.] The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 343 
supply of water and railing or lightering facilities are essential, they must 
also receive due consideration. The principal objections to placing a works 
in the area of production as against at the oversea shipping port are the cost 
of railing inland the supplies for the works, which in the case of barrels, 
bagging, &c., have to be again freighted out when filled, and the cost and 
risk of railing frozen products. If the advantages of placing, a works at the 
seaport just balance the losses due to railing live stock, then still the works 
should be placed in the producing area, for although no extra profit may be 
made there is a distinct benefit to the Dominion, inasmuch as the industry 
brings 5 per cent, more money into circulation in the meat trade 
Loss of Dead-weight. 
There is a reputed loss of weight in the meat of 6 per cent, between 
the hot dead-weight and that of the frozen meat, due to the evaporation 
of moisture from the meat. The system adopted is to weigh the mutton 
carcases hot and deduct 6 per cent. Beef after slaughtering is chilled in 
halves, then quartered and weighed, and a deduction of 3 per cent, is made 
from the chilled weight, it being estimated that 3 per cent, is lost in chilling. 
The deduction of 6 per cent, is an accepted figure, and is maintained simply 
as a matter of usage, but it is not always correct. Class, condition, and 
climate affect the loss, so that, while it may be correct in some localities, 
in others weight is being given away simply to maintain a system. Meat- 
brokers pay on the 6-per-cent, basis and, as will later on be shown, benefit 
by the system. 
To obtain full value for the weight the meat should be weighed out 
of store at time of shipment. This would entail extra labour, but as it is 
done in some countries it may be taken that the extra trouble and cost 
is compensated for. I advocate the retention of the practice of weighing 
the meat hot and the adoption of the practice of weighing the frozen carcase, 
for by taking both hot and frozen weights the loss would be ascertained 
exactly, and there would arise the greatest incentive to vary the methods 
of freezing to obtain the minimum amount of loss. 
Naturally, the management of an individual works could only obtain 
the best results which that works on its modus operandi could give, but by 
comparing the results from various works the most efficient modus operandi 
could be ascertained. The comparison of results from various works would 
not, however, settle the question finally, for widely separated works operating 
on the same system must vary in results owing to differences in locality, 
class of stock, and climatic conditions. The true basis could be obtained 
only by the establishment of an experimental plant where all conditions 
outside of mechanical equipment and modus operandi would be the same. 
The results would be applicable to all localities, classes of stock, and 
climates, but the percentage of loss would vary according to the 
humidity of the climate unless a standard humidity were maintained by 
artificial means. 
The actual quantity of meat slaughtered in New Zealand from 
the 1st August, 1916, to the 31st July, 1917, stated in terms of frozen 
weight, was 380,578,4001b., equivalent to 6,342,940 sheep averaging 601b. 
weight each. This represents 94 per cent, of the hot weight, and the 
6-per-cent, deduction represents 404,868 mutton carcases of 60 lb. weight. 
These figures show the importance of the subject, and the foregoing- 
goes to prove that research carried out in England on the relation of 
