The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1894.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 169, 17 July 1894, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1894.

Fur Ui. causa that lacks assist--... P.r the Trrosc that ne.-s rasistauoß, F.r the future ia ths ii.ta.ntn. lad the coed that fre can do.

We quoted a short time ago some opinions expressed by Mr Waymouth, the Secretary of the Belfast Freezing Company, on the prospect of Australia proving a formidable rival to this colony in the frozen meat irade. Thai gentleman, who had paid a flying visit to kangaroo-land, pooh-poohed the idea that we have anything to fear from the competition of our enterprising neighbours. The breed of sheep, climatic conditions, and the extent to which the pastoralists were in the hands of mortgagees would, he considered, effectually handicap the Australian squatters in the frozen meat race. In fact, New Zealanders had not the least cause for alarm from tbat quarter. We pointed out at the time that the reasons assigned by Mr Waymouth were totally inadequate. He seems to have fallen into the popular error of regarding Australia simply as a land subject to intense heat and drought, ignoring the fact thai that country comprises a great variety of climate, and includes not only tbe plains scorched by a tropical sun, but regions ot eternal snow. Only to-day a cablegram from Sydney announces that two horsemen have been frozen to death in the Kiandra district. The contention that the Australians cannot produce a suitable breed of sheep for meat export on account of unsuitable climate, is not likely to carry much weight with those who have an intimate acquaintance with the capabilities of that country. Another reason gravely put forward, viz., that the Australian squatters are so entangled in pecuniary embarrassments that they cannot afford the outlay necessary to change the breed of sheep, is absurd on the face of it. Many of the pastoralists are, no doubt, heavily involved, but it is grotesque to say that a body of men who, taken as a whole, are the wealthiest in the Southern Hemisphere, would find any insuperable difficulty in raising the moderate amouut required to change the character of their flocks.

In a recent issue of the "Sydney Morning Herald " there is a leading article on the pending change in the pastoral industry, and it is worthy of remark that the difficulties that seemed so formidable to Mr Wayir.outh are not even taken into consideration. Our contemporary, after referring to the vast importance of the wool trade to Australia and the liberal expenditure that has been involved in making the pastoral interest a national one, goes on to point out that there are signs of a distinctive change from the old methods, and that another stage in sheep-breeding has been reached. Hitherto the merino has been the favourite type of sheep in New South Wales for wool-producing purposes, but an important departure

is likely to be made for two reasons. The first is that, owing to a change in the English woollen trade, there is a greater demand than formerly for a coarser wool than that which has been hitherto the staple product in the senior Australian colony. If. this demand become permanent th« Australian squatters generally will find it necsssary not to stick too ex* clusively to merino flocks even for * wool-producing purposes. The other reason more nearly cod. cerns ourselves. The Sydney journal remarks on the fact that graziers on the other side are watching with some degree of eDvy tbe proportions the New Zealand frozen meat industry has assumed, and observes that the recent sheep sales in Sydney show clearly that New South Wales squatters propose a change in sheepbreeding. The Australians have learned that the small carcase of the merino does not find favour in the English market, and they are naturally desirous of adopting for purposes of meat export that type which long experience in New Zealand has shown to be eminently adapted for the purpose. It is pointed out that at tbe recent sales the pens packed with sheep from this colony show that our graziers are aware of the intention of their Australian neighbours, and ate making use of the knowledge to their own advantage, no less than between 8,000 and 9,000 stud sheep from New Zealand having been sent over to the sales in New South Wales this year. The intention of the Australian squatters, it is said, is to combine both pursuits. They desire a share in the frozen meat trade without lessening the export of wool. In carrying this plan out, our contemporary suggests that the merino flocks will probably hold their own in districts where the intense heat is unfavourable for meat producing purposes, while the squatters in the cooler regions will aim at two objects, viz,, to meet the increasing demand for coarser wools tban those hitherto supplied, and to produce a type of sheep that will find favour in the London meat market. On behalf of New South Wales our contemporary observes '■ that parts of the colony are adapted to yield a sheep equal to that which has done so much lor the indu.try in New Zealand, is the opinion of many who know both colonies intimately." Whether this view is correct or not, it is quite evident that our Australian neigbours intend to act upon it, and it will not be their fault if we continue to enjoy a practical monopoly of the frozen meat trade.