THE EXPORT OF EWE LAMBS.

Bush Advocate, Volume XVII, Issue 25, 31 January 1905, Page 4

THE EXPORT OF EWE LAMBS.

« Ox several occasions pointed attention has been drawn to the danger ahead of the meat industry owing to the manner in which tke flocks of the colony are being reduced by the persistent exportation of ewe lambs. The opinion has been expressed that the effect of this policy must be not only to reduce the quantity of sheep available for export, but to weaken the stamina of the flocks, ' as only the best quality lambs are taken* for the export trade. Some time ago the matter was brought under the notice of the Premier, who then stated his willingness to bring forward legislation prohibiting the exportation of ewe lambs if it was desired. All the warnings have had no effect, and now the subject lias again been given prominence by the recent annual meeting of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company. At that meeting the Chairman of the Directors, Sir George Clifford, had to announce a deficit on the year's transactions of £2567. He said that the position had to a great extent been created Ivy the shortage of stock iv the Canterbury district, with the consequent lessening of the number of sheep and lambs available for export. It appears that the effect of this shrinkage was that the number of stock offering at the company's works showed a fallins-off of no less than 36 per cent, or 312,337 'carcases. In refei'ring to the matter, Sir George Clifford spoke as follows : — "lt is not my function here to give a lecture on sheep farming, but it is

obvious to every thinking farmer that continuous freezing of ewe lambs lies at the root of the falling off we are deploring, and there is, I understand, no indication of any widespread realisation of the difficulties which are accumulating upon every branch of the pastoral industry by adherence to this vicious system. If we regard the Canterbury district as one great sheep farm, it is clear that it should. retain or purchase sufficient young ewes to annually replace the drain, say, 20 per cent., from its breeding stock of some 2,500,000 breeding ewes. The large farmers are compelled by the absolute impossibility of purchase to retain the needful supply, but their surplus goes only part of the way towards supplementing the general improvidence. We may well characterise as improvident the policy which sacrifices for 16s a young ewe to replace her at 20s by an old one, inasmuch as persistence in such a course must involve the result which overtook the dame who killed the goose which laid the golden eggs." At a later stage in the meeting, Sir George Clifford said he hoped for the benefit of Canterbury' that the replenishing of stocks would come about by a little forbearance on the part of the farmers in not seeking to make an immediate profit out of their ewe lambs. They should regard it as a patriotic, duty to" their neighbours and to themselves to farm in a way which would be not only for their own benefit, but for the whole community and the Company as well. In the course of a lengthy discussion, Sir John Hall expressed his belief that as long as the farmers found it more profitable to sell their lambs than to keep them, they would contiuue to do so. The time would come, no doubt, when they would find it more profitable to keep on breeding, but that was not very near, and therefore they would have to look for other means by which, the Company could recover itself. Mr J. C. N. Grigg, another shareholder, referring to the lamb question, said that each farmer must decidewhether it paid him to keep the lambs or not. Canterbury farmers were getting far more for their lambs than those I in any other part of the colony, and the : result would be that thousands of ewes i would come into Canterbury this year, and more next year, and, according to natural laws, if there was a shortage, Canterbury would be the last place to suffer. The reason that this company had suffered so severely, it appears, is that it is not a buying one, w^iile it has to encounter strong competition from a company that has a free hand in this direction. That, however, does not detract from the position taken up by Sir George Clifford. Whether the matter is one in which, legislative interference may become necessary is another matter. There is the unpleasant fact to face that the returns show a decrease in the sheep held in the colony for 1904, as compared with, the previous year, of 793,731, and if this decrease is to be stayed, same practical steps must be devised to meet the difficulty.

We understand, that the formation of the Ongaha road is to be proceeded with at once. The annual harvest festival in connecI tion with the Norsewood Methodist Church will be celebrated on March 17th and 18th. We are informed by Messrs H. Ckadwick and Co., district agents for the State Fire Insurance Department, that their rates are 10 per cent less than tariff. For all cycle sundries our prices cannot be beat. Clarkson's Cycle Stoic, High-street.* It has transpired that the refreshments at the opening of the Wellington Town Hall cost and Mayor Aitken footed the bill I Miss Webb, of Ormondville, who. passed such a successful career at the Wellington Hospital, proceeds to Waipukurau to-morrow to take up the duties of nurse at the hospital there. A Wellington wire to-day states that it is understood that Mr E. Gardner, the Government valuer at Palmers ton North, has been offered the position of Deputy Valuer-General indefinitely. This being the last day on which ratepayers can pay their rates without the addition of 10 per cent., the Town Clerk has been kept busy receiving payments, and a goodly sum has been paid into the Borough treasury. Mr H. A. Fannin, who has been agent for the NZ. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company at Masterton for some time past, is being transferred to Wanganui. Mr Sharp, of Gore (Otago), will succeed Mr Fannin at Masterton. Mr J. A. Robertson was engaged this morning surveying the sections on which Mr Andrews proposes to erect the new theatre. Those interested are reminded that entries for the Feilding Agricultural and Pastoral Show close on Thursday next. The General Committee have received very encouraging reports as to the prospects of the show, which takes place on'the 22nd February;

Mr G. Potts returned to Danuevirke to-day, after his holiday in the Gisborne district. A meeting of the H.B. Sab-cricket Association will be held at Orraondville to-morrow, aj; 4 o'clock. j A meeting 1 of delegates of the Hawke'a j Bay Cricket Sub-Association will beheld to-morrow afternoon at OrmonxU ville. It is probable that the volunteercamp for the Wellington district will : be held at either Wanganui or Palmer- ' stpri North. j In another column attention is drawnto the fact that this is Bonus Year ia, the Government Life Insurance— Mr Norman Gurr is the district representative. " The annual meeting of the Hawke's. | Bay District of the New Zealand branch ! of the Manchester Unity, Independent Order of Oddfellows, is to be held a JDannevirke on Friday, February 24th. t "We regret to have to record the death of Mr Ealph Halliburton, of Norsewood, which took place at the residenceof his son-in-law, Mr D. H. Grant, | where he has been staying lately, on. Sunday last. Three m*n were recently charged at' the Ngaruawahia Court with working at their callings on Sunday— namely, discharrowing, hoeing, cutting grass, etc. Defendants said that it was .no offenceunder the Police Offences Act, and theBench upheld their contention. From to-morrow a new bye-law will come into force on the railways, under which all sacks of grain containing morethan 2001 b will be liable to a penalty charge ol four times the ordinary rate. The Minister has been making enquiries, as to the quantity of last year's crop on hand, so that, if possible, it may I>e carried to market under the existing regulations. Lieutenant Herd, who conducted theNew Zealand Brass Band that went tothe- Old Country, will conduct [his old band, the Wellington Garrison, at the Auckland contest. For this contest nofewer than fourteen bands have entered, for the selections and quickstep, and fiveadditional bands will send soloists only. The judge will be Mr W. S. King, conductor of the Canterbury Engineers* Band, Cbnstchurch. ; A man named John Hughes was before the Court at Auckland yesterday oil a charge of assaulting (a young girl named Rose Thomas. It is alleged that accused seized the girl by the throat near the Avondale Hotel, and dragged* her pff the road into a, ditch, when he attempted a .serious assault. Someladies passing disturbed the man, who ran off. Hughes was charged with the crime, and remanded till next Monday. A delightful story has leaked out from the Admiralty with respect to the passage of the Baltic fleet through the Straits of Gibraltar, writes MrH. W. Lucy to the Sydney MorningHerald. At the time when the public mind was still deeply stirred <: by the North Sea outrage, and there were reports current that the British fleet at Gibraltar awaited the coming of the Russians with decks cleared for action, Lord Selborne received from theBiitish Admiral the following private message :— " Most awkward mistake ;. awfully sorry. Have blown up the Russian Fleet; thought they were trawlers." It was only Lord Charles Beresford's fun — a retort courteous to the excuse of the Russian Admiral in the North Sea. who fired on a fleet of trawlers because he" "thought they were torpedo boats." Mr Lamb has just completed theplans of a handsome two-storied brick building for Mr Webber, which is to be erected on the space in front of the Town Hall, and which, when finished,, will constitute another most substantial improvement to the town. The buildings which is to have a frontage of 50 feet and a depth of 42 feet, has been divided ! into two shops. The main one (26 x 42)> is to be occupied by the Morgan Hardj ware Co., and the other (21 x 42) will be for letting purposes. In order to accommodate the business of the Hard-- ! ware Co., it will be necessary to utilise [ part of the present Town Hall as a stair--1 hall, for a handsome stair will lead up to the two show rooms that occupy the top floor and which will be approached;through two elliptical arches. Theback portion of the hall will be used, as a storeroom and workroom. The front elevation of the building has been desighed in the Free Classic style and has been liberally embellished with cornices, fluted pilasters, and ornamental caps and mouldings. The shops will be lit by large plate glass windows, and a new system has been adopted in connection with the verandah in the way of lights immediately above it, which will--lead directly into the shop and so help' its illumination considerably. The whole of the front will be finished inplaster and will, when completed, furnish one of the finest shop fronts in theNorth Island. The adjourned meeting of the Norse - wood Horticultural and Industrial Society was held last evening, Mr Watson in the chair, and there were also pre- - sent Messrs C. E. Pettersen, T. and W. Torkilsen, H. Campbell, F. Wahl, J. Chicken, L. Tuckwell, P. G. Grant, H. I T. Eiddell, and F. Martin (hon. sec.) Correspondence was read from Mrs Hartley stating she was unable to judge Class VI., Section 7. — Instructed to ask Mrs George, of Napier, to act. From Mr Bartlett, regretting that owing to previous engagement was unable to act. — To be asked to recommend someone to act as judge of poultry, etc. MrWatson suggested that as all other judges were |from outside the district, the same be adopted as regards judging cottage gardens. — Agreed to. Mr T. Torkilsen and the secretary were appointed to arrange exhibits in the school. The secretary was instructed, to arrange with. Messrs Hardy Bros, re I refreshments. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr Riddell for donating wedding cake, and the secretary was instructed to get permission to raffle same.on show day.

Mr N. ti. Gurr, who has been spending a week in Wellington? returned to Xfannevifke by yesterday afternoon's express, and may be seen as usual on life insurance at Andrews' Buildings. .

Mr. W. Jaques, the fruit-canning expert, recently made a tour of certain parts of the Blenheim district. He stated that he was inueh impressed with the fruit-producing possibilities of the district, and strongly advised "the formation of a Fruitgrowers' Association. *The Herald is informed that Mr W. J. McGrath has definitely ' decided to contest the Napier seat at the forthcoming general election against all-comers. He yrilfr,;take an early opportanity of aneethig the electors. He is a supporter ioi the present Government, but differs from them on s various issues. •■> ;