TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 144, 22 June 1903, Page 1

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Advice that will be fresh in the minds of Marlborough farmers is tbat they should study the Canterbury methods of raising add fattening sheep, and put more weight into the stock they send to the freezing wbbks. They have boen told that in this deficiency is the explanation of the difference between tho prices paid for sheep grown here and in the southern'province; but it is doubtful whether they are entirely convinced on the point. Perhaps some comparisons that have just come to light as between North Island and Canterbury sheep will assist them in arriving at a conclusion, Writing from London on April 17th, a correspondent in the produce trade remarks tbat "the shipments from Hawke's Bay do hot show that gradual imprevement in quality one would expect as the result of experience and intelligent farming, and we have had to face some claims for badly nourished and plain sheep in the ca.f, trade." New blood, he adds, is evidently wanted among the Hawke's Bay flocks, and more at tention given to improving feed, and not overcrowding pastures. "If Hawke's Bay sheep were up to Southland, we should even now, with the big arrivals of- North Island, bo getting 4|d on Smithfield all the time instead of 3?d, and we should come much nearer to covering f.o.b. costs than we are doing. Strange how the River Plate quality has steadily forged ahead and an old favored province like Hawke's Bay should be worse than stationary in tho matter of quality." Evidence of a similar character was published the other day with regard to the Auckland sheep. The manager of the Auckland Freezing Works has supplied to the press records of the shipments of lambs daring January, February and March, which show that in Canterbury 'each carcase frozen averages 38ib, worth 3Jd per pound delivered at the works, and worth, with skin, 14s, while in Auckland the average is 331b at 3d per pound, purchased oh the-farms, with skin, etc, worth 10s ll|d. The skins from the Auckland lambs are not worth in the woal from 9d to Is each what the general averageof lambs-skins fetch in Canterbury, nor do the lambs there show so much inside fat. In Auckland it is a rare thing for a line to average over lib, whereas in Canterbury the average is about 2Jlb of clean fat. He avers that whilst the Canterbury Company can make a handsome profit on paying 13s, the Auckland Company is making a loss on paying 10s 63., A similar set of comparisons in the case of Marl borough sheep; would ; be instructive. , ....;.■

The London Spectator, moralising over the unhappy condition of the Balkan Peninsula, that beautiful and fertile section of the earth's surface, says :— •l Its people number 16 millions, and their territory would support 30 in comfort and happiness. They are all white men, all brave enough to make good soldiers, and all penetrated with ideas which, if localism were once diminished, would make of them de vofcees of their common country. Almost all are of one creed, and all have been compelled by circumstances to tolerate toleration as a practical rule of life. There are plenty of men of ability among them, and it would be possible, if opinion were once set free, to eradicate the corroding temptation of corrupt gain, br ab all events to make bribe-taking a dangerous offence. There is no sound reason why, if they were let alone, they should not set up a Federal Monarchy as secure and as prosperous as Austria, with much agricultural wealth, and possession of the land trade between Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Seated on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, they might even develop naval power, and so become a noteworthy factor in European politics.^ That would seem in the eyes of any political philosopkev the position to which their destiny called' them ; but everyone knows it is not the position they will obtain. Even if their internal jealousies and hatreds did not provent any permanent combination for defence, the Great Powers in their neighborhood would not bear to see them grow strong in union and peace. ... Russia would declare that her own door was shut on her, and Austria would assert that her only hope of 'sharing: in the modern development of wealth' was taken away; and both would waste armies and heap debt upon themselves rather than re sign the chance of ruling on at least one side of the Peninsula. The Concert of Europe is rarely benevolent, and for such an object as we have sketched the Concert could not be called into existence.' So the struggle mint go on to some end never yet cUatly defined, and a really glorious land which might be.added to the domain of European civilisation must remain in a thinly-concealed anarchy, with a perpetual liability to murder poisoning the; happiness of every vil- | la,re. It is a sad fate, but, as the hi lory of the last 400 years shows, clearJy there is at present no hope of any real improvement,"