THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26633, 19 January 1952, Page 5

THE WEEK

NO COMMENT No comment is needed on the following paragraph which appears in the latest issue of the "Pastoral Review,” the leading Australian magazine: “Recently when Brisbane was faced with a meat famine and the actingPremier was fulminating against the meat producers and threatening some strong action, the Queensland-British Food Corporation (owned jointly by the United Kingdom and Queensland governments) forwarded to Brisbane 260 head of cattle fattened on the Corporation’s property in Central Queensland and collected up to £65 a head for them. The cattle were sold on a market quoted at from £7 to £8 per 1001 b and higher, whereas the fixed ceiling price is £5 5s per 1001 b. Most of the cattle were bought by local wholesalers, which means that the latter must sell above the fixed price or lose up to £2 15s a head, or else retailers must buy above the fixed price and sell at a loss or dispose of their meat on the black market. It may be argued that the Queensland government is only one of the two partners in the Corporation, but it could certainly interpose and prevent such a pitiable piece of political hypocrisy as Queenslanders have witnessed during the meat controversy. The purpose behind the establishment of the corporation was to grow food for Great Britain, and the raising of fat cattle was adopted as part of the means of converting the grain raised into food. It was expected that such cattle would be sent to the meatworks and prepared for export to Great Britain as chilled beef, but so far the corporation has repeatedly chosen to exploit the shortage of cattle in order to obtain high prices when it is very plain that such meat can only reach consumers by way of the black market.’’

CHATHAM ISLANDS FREIGHTS

Freight charges on Chatham Islands wool are very high, according to Mr Harry G. Blyth, of Riccarton, who has a property of some 6000 acres in the southern end of Whare-kauri, the main island of the group. Recently 56 bales of wool were shipped from his property to a Wellington store to be sold. For this service Mr Blyth received a bill of £415 19s. The charge for shipping the wool from Waitangi wharf on the island to Wellington was £2BO 17s 9d, or a few pence more than £5 a bale. Tire rest of the bill was made up by commission, binning and classing fees, etc., but it did not include the cost of shearing or the cost of the wool packs. Because the road leading to his property is scarcely formed Mr Blyth has his sheep driven about 20 miles to a shearing point from which the wool is taken by truck to the wharf. The transport charge for taking the 56 bales from the shearing point to the wharf was £ll 4s. Romneys were by far the predominant breed of sheep on the island. Attempts had been made to introduce various crossbreeds bur they had not proved as successful as the pure Romney, Mr Blyth said. Parts of the island carried as many as four sheep to the acre. Most of the land was originally dense and difficult bush which, when cleared, was replaced by fern. Mr Blyth said that the fern on his land could not be burnt and he had to wait about 10 years before the land could be brought in for grazing. Mr Blyth’s property carries about 2500 sheep. The total carrying capacity of the island is about 100,000 sheep of which 17.000 to 20,000 are sent to Addington annually. Of the total area of 222,000 acres only about 50,000 can be used for grazing. There are about 70,000 acres of lake water in the island. “The island could carry more but the cost of development is heavy,” said Mr Blyth. The Chatham islands also have a labour problem. Many of the younger men have left the island to go to the mainland or have taken up land for themselves, said Mr Blyth. There are four rehabilitation farms and men who used to go out working on contract are now working on their own farms. The men available for farm work on the island were generally good workers, said Mr Blyth. This was especially so for shearers and fencers.

“One of our big problems to-day is bringing in our fern land. In the past a lot of the island was spoiled by fires and ploughing; at least that is my opinion,” said Mr Blyth. “Crushing the fern and consolidating the peat by means of a heavy roller after discing would be better than ploughing.” Reading, although improved over recent years, was still a big problem. To his own farm on the southern coast of the island there was really no road. A road went part of the way to his property but funds had run out before it could be completed.

Fencing was another very expensive item, especially on the coastal strips where wire soon rusted. The present cost for a mile of fencing was £450.

NO NEED TO FEAR

In discussing the urgent need for Britain to grow more food, the “British Farmer,” official organ of the National Farmers’ Union, says:—“Here let it be said that those countries that have so long supplied us with essential foods need have nothing to fear frbm an expansion of food production in Britain, however vigorously pressed, given sensible and practical management. The population of these islands has risen by three millions since prewar; for the present, at least, it is still rising. Moreover, the unsatisfied demand for food a head is potentially greater, due to a more than fourfold increase in the numbers comprised within the middle income groups. Given adequate supplies, consumer demand could quickly rise; in meat, for example, national consumption a head in Britain is still well below pre-war. Yet even so this country took in 1950 no Jess than 76 per cent, of the world trade in meat. Against this vast proportion the United States, as the next largest meat importer, took 9.4 per cent, and Germany took 7.1 per cent. In butter, too, United Kingdom imports exceeded those of any other nation seven times over. With the utmost expansion of home production that we can achieve it is overwhelmingly evident that Britain must still remain the greatest importer of food in the world.”

FESCUE POISONING

A case of fescue poisoning of cattle has recently been reported to the Department of Agriculture from the West Coast. One beast was severely affected, and several more slightly affected by the grass. Seed had not set on the grass at the time the poisoning was reported.

EWE FAIR DATES *

The folliwing dates have been fixed for the 1952 series of North Canterbury ewe and ram fairs:— Christchurch Stud Ram—February 14. Kaikoura Ewe— February 15. Amberley Southern Ewe—February 25. Ashburton County Breeders Ewe— February 26. Hawarden Ewe—February 28. Rakaia Ewe—February 29. Amberley Northern Ewe —March 3. Little River Ewe —March 4, Ashburton Ram —March 5. Culverden Ewe—March 6. Methven Eewe—March 7. Tinwald Open Ewe—March 10. Kaikoura Ram and Ewe—March 10. Sheffield Ewe—March 11. Christchurch Flock Ram—March 13 and 14. Oxford Ewe—March 17. Coalgate Ewe—March 18.

A record sugar beet harvest is expected in Germany. Grain and potato yields are higher than last year and an early threshing bonus has boosted bread grain deliveries beyond expectations.