GERALDINE FARMERS' CLUB.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8583, 9 September 1893, Page 10

GERALDINE FARMERS' CLUB.

■» The opening night of the above Club took place on Thursday evening in the newlyerected club room adjoining Mr H. B. Webster's auction room. The weather was decidedly unfavourable, but the attendance was more than could be expected on'such a wet night. Mr M. C. Orbell, '"President, delivered the opening address, which dealt with various subjects of supreme importance to farmers. He deprecated the high railway charges on the carriage of grain and stock, and showed that these charges absorbed about 50 per cent, of tbe farmer's profit after he had landed his grain at the railway station. He pointed out the necessity for farmers obtaining the very best, seed for sowing, and also better stud sheep for stockbreeding than they had at present. Farmers paid too little attention to these matters as long as they got things cheap, but he assured them it cost no more to keep a good sheep than a bad one, and it paid better in the end. On the frozen mutton question Mr Orbell said there was no industry in the colony that had been so mismanaged in respect to its sale at home. He recently read a letter in the Press from Messrs Fitter and Sons', agent in Christchurch, Mr Bennett, in which he stated that Smitbfield is par excellence the best market for frozen mutton. He doubted this, and stated that if it were true (and he believed Mr Bennett would not deny it) that the custom was for a Committee of three or four gentlemen to meet every morning between three and four o'clock at Smithfield, and fix the price for the day; it was then taken by the men we hear of as salesmen at the price fixed, and they then obtained aa many carcasses as they required" for the day from the freezing stores, and any price they obtained above that named they put it into their own pockets, so that instead of being salesmen for us they were our buyers. Under these circumstances he was not satisfied that it was to the advantage of the I producer. He thought salesmen upon these terms might be dispensed with. He would establish a distinct market for frozen mutton the same as that for fish at Billingsgate. He knew there would be great opposition to such a course being adopted, and he never could understand the apathy displayed by producers. As a further proof of the unjust manner our meat was dealt with at Smitbfield he would mention that he ! knew a shipper of several hundred lambs who happened to be in London at the time I they arrived. They were placed through j his agent in the hands of a aalesi man at Smithfield. He went to see the individual to hear how they were selling, when he was informed that the market was glutted and the lambs were only realising 4d and 4£d per lb. The shipper went through Leadenhall Market the same day and noticing a ticket over one of the shops "New Zealand lamb Bold here" went in to ascertain bow they were selling, and received the reply, " Very well indeed, sir, 8d and B£d per lb," at same time handing him a card with a list of the prices of all classes of mutton. He saw the lambs and was positive the qnality was aot better than his own at Smithfield. He (Mr Orbell) would make no comment upon this but would like to hear what Mr Bennett had to say. He was prepared to substantiate every word that- he had said about these lambs. He did not believe in grading the meat, he thought this was entirely for the benefit of the buyer. If a sheep was not fit for freezing it should be rejected at the works and not shipped. The other speakers were Messrs John Allan, J. WreathalL J. McShane, Wright, iR. Y. Ferguson, J. Winstone, J. Murray, F. W. Smith, J. Mundell, H. B. Webster and N. Dunlop. The Club, which now has a membership of sixty-eight, will meet monthly for the discussion of questions relating to stock, grain, &c _ Mr John Mundell has promised to open a discussion at a future meeting on the need of a tax on the owners of stallions, j so as to induce men to run a better stamp of entire than the inferior kind that at pre- j sent travels the district. I