NOTES FOR GRAZIER AND DEALER.

By Straggler.

Weekly Press. Mr A. Macfarlane, of Achray, bad a llnl of very pretty half-bred wethers In tbs yards. The more I see nf the Achraj sheep the more 1 like them. Mr Macfarlaue is, I am told, going iv strongly for Shropshire sheep, aud with such a good foundation to work upon 1 look (or a great reputation for his sheep before long. There is a very strongly founded Impression that beef will be v.ry dear this winter. I hoar consumers consoling themselves with tho reflection that there is plenty iv tbe North Island. This may be very true, but 1 doubt if they can get it hero any cheaper than tho local article. Last year's experiments In this direction were uot encouraging. Good ram lambs are decidedly good property. 1 hear of several fair sized lots being sold during tbe past fortnight at 4gs. This is profitable. From nearly every portion of tho province cornea the discouraging news that there is only half a turnip crop. This la serious, and it heavy frosts add to our troubles there is no telling what misfortune may not be in store. Messrs Earnshaw and McKay, the wellknown Hurunui sheep fanners, had soma truly wonderful wethers at Addington on Wednesday week. Considering that thr J were fattened solely on tunsook land their probable weights of 1101b to 1151b factory weights is a fair criterion of their capabilities as "doers." Some of these wethers realised as high as 22s 6d. From the North Olayo Times I gather that on tbe 9th in»t. there wore shipped by the Ohau for Napier, six well-bred yoarliug shorthorn bulls from the herd of the Hon. M. Holme-*, Awamoa. Tho bulls will prove an acquisition to the Napier district, for tho Awamoa shorthorns have long held an euviubie reputation. The Oamat-u, Mail reports that a general meeting of members of the Shearers' and Labourers' Union was held recently to re« ceive the report of the Oamat-u delegates as to the business trammeled at the Conference of union delegate* bold at Geraidine. For tho benefit of those Interested I extract the following Information from tbe Mail's report of the meeting. Mr Power reported that he considered tbe most important question dUcassed at the Conference was the Eight Hours question. They had not approved of ths Universal Eight Hours Dill, but ths opinion had been fully expressed that such a measure was desirable and applicable to the gnat majority of workers, especially in trades, and recommeuded shearers to meet tho wool growers and station managers with a view to securing this limit of working hours in shearing sheds. Mr Kelly expressed an opinion that a very large number of the sheep owners were quite agreeable to the Eight Hours system, and that it obtaiued in some sheds. Referring to the accommodation for shearers, roust-abouts, &c, on stations, Mr Power stated that it was pointed out at the Conference that the present super* visional arrangements were cither made3uate or inefficient; or, as one of the eltgates pertinently asked, "Had the manager's invitation to 'come and have a whiskey' any eiTect on the Inspectors' reports'?" Tho Delegates had named statious nt which there was nothing approaching proper accommodation, ana suggested that iv the cause of common justice, a member of the Labour Party should be appointed to act with the present Inspector or Inspectors. A move in the right direction tho sneaker considered, was arranging to meet em* plovers before the commencement of each shearing, harvesting, aud threshing season and to arrange at least a minimum rate of wages, if not a fair one to both man and master. This aotion would mimimlse tbe chances of strikes and difficulties, and the farmers and sheepowners would see that it was to their advantage to place no obstacles In the way or conferences such as these, but rather, by their encouragement, to try to solve the Labour Problem by these means. Mr P. Gilligan (another delegate) said» They ought to set their faces against contract cooking, on account of its being Ereatly abused. He instanced cases which ad come under his notice. One squatter whom he knew had engaged a cook for six weeks at £210s per week ; the following year he employed the cook by contract at 4_d per meal, and for the six weeks the cook received £80, whereas he had only got £15 previously, and this was good wages. The " boss " was quite satisfied, finding the contract cheaper for him. and so was tbe cook, because he received an additional £65. The men. suffered; they had to pay more, and fared a great deal worse. It was high time that either employers or men should put a stop to this system. Another (relevance, thla being a reason for meeting employers, which had demanded attention at their conference was the agreements with employers. It had been stated that.some of these were unfit for any man to work under, and, a degradation to a worker's innate independent spirit. He himself had been forced to sign an agreement which gave tbe, "boss' r the privilege of " sacking "any of bis hands even on the second last day, without so much as paying a single penny of his hard-earned wages. This employer had dismissed 20 men in one week, paying some of them at) half-rates and others without a cent. This was, of course, an exceptional case, but in a country like New Zealand, such an occurrence ought to be unheard of.. The EawkSt Bay Herald, in an atrtlcle on "Cross breeding in Australia," quotes from the report on the Bubject made by Mt Bruce, the chief Inspector of stock in New South Wales, who represented his colony at the recent stock conference held In this colony. The Herald considers Mr Bruce's investigations, and those of others who have gone thoroughly Into the subject, must have dashed tbs sanguine hopes of a great many runholdera who thought they had only to import long wool rams in order to establish successfully crossbred flocks. The Marlborough Times says:—A further consignment of 155 sheen was landed at Picton by Penguin from Nelson on Thursday night for tho Spring Creek freezing works, ifo wonder that butchers are hardening the price of mutton when even Marlborough has to import. The Woodville Examiner says:—"We have been shown some account sales of a small conHignment of sheep shipped from Wellington inNovember last, which throw a light upon Koine questions frequently In debate among our sheep farmers. Of the sheep, thirty-live.ln number, two were condemned aud sold locally at 7<* each. Of the raftt. fifteen fetched in London a little over 4£d per lb, and eighteen a little under 4£d. They were sold in February, when the market was about at its best. Still, during this year, Wellington aheep have never been quoted above 4d per lb.' These were, of course, sold at the . quoted price of Canterbury sheep. It seem" quite clear, therefore, that " Canterbury *h«ep " is a mere trade term like "Botany wool," or "Sea Maud cotton," and doer not necessarily menu that the sheep so described come from Canterbury. The whole consignment, including two condemned sheep, netted to their owner in Wellington £_3 14s lOd, or 10. 4d per bead. It it to be noted that five out of the number were woolly, and their skins brought 6t a piece. Tho rest were shorn and their pelts realised Od. Leaving the condemned sheep 1 out of account, and also leaving the extra woo) out or account, the thirty-five, taken as recently shorn, would net about 3d pet head less than tho conHignment taken as it stands—that is about Ids Id. The name sheep unshorn would, at this rate, havo | been worth to their owner iv Wellington £1 is 4d. or In Woodville £1.

The Hawkt'a Bay Herald in commenting on tbe "ftwagger" nuisance gives the following information :—" Oar Waipawa Correspondent has of late energetically exposed the imposition on runholders by tbe army of regular 'swagger*' perambulating the country. One case he mentions where a run holder off a main Hue of road paid hh contract cook for 2024 meals supplied to swaggers last year. Another runholder who has kept a careful account told us that last year swaggers cost him over £300. In Australia things are even worse. Miss Shaw, the special correspondent of The Times, who recently visited Australia, was supplied with particulars from the books of two stations which she visited showing what it cost to feed swaggers. On one In five months 1094 men applied, and the cost of the rations supplied wa* £1098®, Thla was a small station. On the other in four months, from April to July Inclusive, 1201 persons applied, and they were given G&Wlh meat, 28951b flour, 13701b sugar, and 1461b tea. The cost is not given but it can be worked out from thrae figures. In thla month of May alone 490 men were relieved, at a cost to the runholdera of 20261b meat, 1301 lb flour, 5831b sugar, and Sl£lb tea. This was not an estimate, as a fixed amount of provisions was weighed out to each man.** The Herald adds that the evil has grown very much of late In New Zealand, and promises to increase unloss energetic means are taken to check it; and suggest* that our Agricultural and Pastoral Aosoeiatleaa should take the question up,