TOPICS OF THE TIME.

Hastings Standard, Issue 48, 22 June 1896, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE TIME.

An occasional correspondent of the Melbourne Argus gives some interesting information about dairying in Argentina. From his statement it would appear as if we shall find Argentina competition in butter quite as severe as that in frozen meat. The first shipments of Argentina butter in cases were made to London at the end of 1894. They were merely sample lots. In August, 1895, arrangements were perfected for regular shipments, and in February this year 180 tons of Argentine butter were received in London. Next year it is anticipated that 800 tons per month will be sent from one factory on the Buenos Ayres Southern Railway alone. Although this industry is at present confined to the district served by this line, it is stated that the grazing land in Argentina is practically unlimited, and as it is treeless no clearing has to be done. Natural grasses abound, alfalfa or lucerne is cultivated, and thrives well. The climate is so mild that butter production can be carried on practically all the year round, although shipments will probably fall _ off slightly during the Southern winter (English summer) months. Droughts occur say once in seven or eight years, but it is stated are not very destructive.

The ntancirrox have done something in the -way of introducing improved breeds of cattle, Ilolstein, Ayrshire, and Jersey, but depend chiefly on native stock. There are at present only two butter factories, but one of them is on a very extensive scale. Here separators and other scientific dairying appliances are at work under the superintendence of Swedes, the factory manual labour being chiefly by Italian immigrants. Arrangements have been made in London for extending the factory system, and large consignments of dairying machinery, it is stated, are already on the road to Buenos Ayres.

Wauks in Argentina, as most people know, are exceedingly low. At the present time the laborers in the factories get 50 cents per day in paper, equal to about 7id in gold. Those of the working classes in New Zealand who are inclined to be led away by the advocates of a paper currency should lay to heart a very significant fact mentioned by the writer from whom we are quoting. Vast issues of irredeemable paper money ought strictly speaking to lead to a correspondingly enormous apparent rise in wages, measured in irredeemable paper money.

As a matter of fact, however, in Argentina neither, the wages of the small producer and worker nor the local market value of the product of his labor have risen as rapidly as paper has declined and gold risen. Fifty cents per day was very nearly the rate of wages when Argentina currency was at par, and 50 cents meant two silver shillings. Fifty cents is still the rate, though it means about 5d on an average of recent years.