Sheepfarming Expenses

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 232, 27 June 1932, Page 11

Sheepfarming Expenses

Sir, —Everyone acquainted with sheepfarming knows that the expenses are very heavy, but the main ones are shearing and freezing, and unless these are reduced in some proportion, to their results many farmers and their permanent hands must go out Every farmer is doing his best to carry on, and his men understand the state of the case and have* responded nobly to unavoidable reductions; and there is no reason to believe that the men engaged in shearing and freezing do not understand the position, or have less sense of fair play than the others; for if these expenses are not brought down to a more paying basis, and justice done to the farmers and their hands, the result will be disastrous to both them, and the country. The natural result of burdening any industry too highly is to cripple that industry, and thus increase unemployment. All the present price of wool every thousand ordinary crossbred sheep return a net profit of considerably less than £9O, and brokers give no hope of any early improvement. Farmers are. a longsuffering race, and seldom complain; they have spent their lives, in learning their business, and put their money into it. and very few of them or their men could turn to other work.—l am. etc., SHEEPFARMER. Gisborne, June 22.