HOME FROM AMERICA

Northern Advocate, 18 October 1920, Page 6

HOME FROM AMERICA

FEILDING MEN'S IMPRESSIONS

MEAT TRUST DISCUSSED,

Messrs. E. Short and L. T. M'Lean (two well-known" breeders of the Feilding district, Jiavc just returned after several months' touring of the United States. Mr. M'Lean, in giving his. impressions of the trip to a "Star" reporter, said that Americans Were willing to pay any price f or ability. The one thing - they had no time for there was preference to unionists. The man with brains and' ability got the job every tirme, whether he belonged to a union or not. Age ,oi' length of.service did not count more than unionism. In some factories there he saw young men pushed right ahead over, much older men. Every encouragement was given the man with ability and enteprise. A workman was encouraged to do his best.

Mr.. M'L,ean gave at concrete example. In a big packing company at Chicago it was decided that the two' brothers who had inherited the business from theif father wer e not managing the property, and the banks brought pressure to bear on them -to appoint a manager. A Sβ' lecte.d man, Mr. Wilson, was approached and offered the position. He laid down th e terms on 'which he would accept: He must be given so many shares at a price which ho named, the company was to be called Wilson and Co., and he named his salary. His terms were at once accepted. He got his shares at his price and SOI d them at market value, and that transaction alone made him a millionaire. . The company was 'being conducted by Mr. Wilson still, who "delivered the goods. , '

STOCK AT CHICAGO

Talking of Chicago, Mr. M'Lean said they hold stock sales there every day. ' Beef, mutton, and pork are sold; but hogsar e the leading lines. In one day 80,000 pigs passed through the yards. But nothing is auctioned. The buyers ride through the P e ns and put their prices on the stock, and these are accepted.

The sheep handled there by the. freezing companies did not impress the Kiwitea farmer. "The majority of the lambs slaughtered would be rejected by the New Zealand freezing works. They were leggy and tallowy.

MARKET FOR OUR LAMB,

"Is ther e a market thex-e for our

lamb,"

"Yes," replied Mr. M'Lean. "I had a conversation with the manager of one of the largest packing companies, and he told me he was. anxious to get New Zealand lamb. I gav e him the address of the Feild'ing Freezing Company, so that we may have some of our own lamb in America." "While we,were in New York, no New Zealand lamb arrived, but a shipment had previously been placed on the market, and the people were eager to get more."

THE MEAT TRUST.

"The Big Five are in Chicago all right, and they trade under their own names, Swift and Co. t Armour and "Co., etc. They say they,, don't make anything out of the meat, and I quite believe them. They pay sonic thing like 50s for a sheep, and there cannot be much in it for them. But they make their money out of the ofral at the big works. Nothing goes to waste. The meat that is not fit for freezing is tinned, and that not good enough for canning is made into sausages. The tallow is put to use. The bones are made into buttons and the hair into brushes. The works are woriderfully complete. The pens arc close to t ne works, and the stock are sent straight along a race to b e handled.

STOCK- FARMS,

"Travelling through the country we saw very few sheep, Thg beef cattle wer e mostly Herefords and the dairy cattle principally Holsteins, Dairy farmers there —the leading ones at any rate-—tak e a great deal more care of their stock than we do, At one farm w e run by a millionaire, the stud Holsteins—loo of them —are milked four times a day. They are housed all the winter and hand-fed.. A few select cows Were kept in a wire-gauze enclosure, so that not even flies could worry them! With one of thes c the owner expected to make a world's record for milk flpw."

"They have spme wonderfully good lands in parts of Ameripa. 4 tremendous lot of maize is grown for feeding the stock, and there are large wheat areas. The best wheat land, however, is in Canada."

Mr. M'Lan had a good word for the American roads. He saw many lengths of concrete roads and asphalt roads. The cement roads were proving the best, and the people were well pleased with them. The asphalt roads did not stand the wi n " ter so W<*U» being subject to expansion and contraction, this making uneven surfaces.