LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1076, 20 August 1869, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

fhe EdWr does not hold himself responsible for rv^gfofcfihions expressed by correspondents. Sib, — Some months since the question 1 was raised whether an Artillery Company would not be a very necessary appendage to tfie onier arms ia tmsjprovuice} ana the tenor of public opinion fr as d|cide|iy|'ibr it, but, owing to our ko€ Befog able |'t<fget ' a small? ArmstrongrtEafc^ cbtildßS^'worked easily, it fell.thrpugh^But now there is no such obstacle t&tfre "formation of so, desirable a corps, for we have an Armstrong (6 pouudev) in Napier, :and I have ascertained that the Government would be very glad to accept the service of such a corps. To shdw the importance they; attach to such an arm, . they . are quite willing and ready to send us an Instructor, so soon as we should form ourselves' iiitd' a company* and I am sure we have the element and capacity amongst us.-; Let. us not lose .this golden opportunity,, given tons in the interest of the province and colony, by. our able .Defence Minister, the Hon< I). M'Le'anVhe has done this wltfiagreat wish; for our protection and safety, so that we might be prepared for. whatever might happen. Let us then do our quota in that universally read book " self ivelp^T" the iirstsentence is applicable to;U3-^f ( He&ven helps tho.se that help; theoisel.ves"^Tand the present (government , are acting on the game true and sound principle, that they are quite willing to help us if we will onlyhelp ourselves., lam sure it will, appear to all clear and well thinking iSen, that : the formation of such a desirable dorgs, is necessary. , I hope that some onie Vill /move in the matter, and.wnen ameet-ing is called I shall only be toojiappy to sign myself .. ' ■ : ' ••'."'' A Member.

Sib,— The late intelligence from the Auckland sheep market -requires the attention of runholaers,. It is. said the consumption of Auckland ; and the v >Thames'<goid fields amounts, to. only 1200 per week,.. which is more than supplied by the regular steamers, and that, 1 if more be sentf they J %ill simply be unsaleable. ; It follows, then, that we must either boil down- or preserve (by a curing process) our surplus stock. .The/ average price., to be obtained by'.: boiling, down a 501 b sheep does not much exceed; 55..;. the average price by : presermg';i3V;i}.t)t yet ascertained, but there can be little doubt it will be greater than by boiling down, whilst, the expense is about the same. ■iTho.Hawke's Bay Steam Boiling-down Co. is now prepared to 'carry out ineatpreserving on a large scale, att'd can, by a small outlay, increase its means to any necessary extent.

The present market would be Auckland and the gold-fields, but it might shortly be extended : to .England, where the demand would be unlimited. Runholders may, by experimenting with 100 or any large number of sheep, at the Hawke's Bay Boiling-down establishment, assist in developing this export, at little possible loss and great possible gain to themselves and to the province;. " Thb probable. result would be as follows:: — - > i, ■ -.

cost of curing 100 sheep, at Is. each (and . inside fat in place or the legs given iu v '•">. boiling down) ... ... .£SOO Cartage from. West Clive to. Napier of.lfr tons meat* ...'" ..." ... ..'. ... 1 10 0 15 cases, containing 2001bs.$ say 4s. each... 3 0 0 ... '.:'■'■ .'.'■"■■' £910 0 Nett value of 100 sheep, reduced by boning and curing, from GOlbs to 251bs each, atsdperlb £52 18 Skins, at Is 6d ... -....' 7.^10 0 5811 8 Deduct expenses till shipment ... ... '910 0 . .. . ... £50 1 8 Averaging more than lbs. each. I believe it will be our own faults- if by this^tune next year the value of wethers weighing 'SOlbs., is not raised to that amount: '"" l I am leaving to-day for Auckland and the Thames gold-fields, to ascertain personally what those places afford. The Manager will be prepared ip. enter into any necessary arrangements' m/ my absence. — lam, &c, . .' . The Managing D'isectoji H. 8.5.8. Co.

Sib, — It has often been rehiarlced that the Maori is fond of a change — anything for novelty, but of all the changes; that have taken place amongst them X tjbink the present rage for., mortgaging their lands is one of the strongest, and one of the most, dangerous to the future prosperity of this province, both for the native race and the European settlers. A few tradesmen, for the sake of selling a little more sugar, flour, and rum, are enticing the natives by every means, to mortgage and involve their titles, forgetting — or rather not caring; one iofca~that.,. these people are, as far as the. future; peace of this province is concerned, for all the Acts may say to the contrary, the representatives of a large number" of petfple, both young and old, who are quite ignorant that their birthright is being taken from them in this surreptitious manner. — I am, ffec., , . ac-