"A GREAT FUTURE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20563, 14 May 1930, Page 14

"A GREAT FUTURE."

SOUTH AFRICA'S PROGRESS.

PRODUCTION OF WOOL

MARKET FOR DOMINION BUTTER

In the near future South Africa may become a serious competitor for Australia and New Zealand in tho wool market of the world, said Mr. T. Philcox, of Auckland, who returned by tho Ulimaroa yesterday from an extended holiday trip. Accompanied by Mrs. Philcox ho spent about IS months in South Africa, visiting Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Capetown.

"South Africa is a country with a great future," Mr. Philcox said. "Wool production is being undertaken seriously and there are now about 40,000,000 sheep in the Union, a development of tho last 20 years. South African sheep-farmers are paving up to £SOOO for stud rams from Australia. They have some fine grazing country and labour is absurdly cheap. It costs only a halfpenny to shear a sheep."

Tho country was so varied that numerous crops could be grown in different parts, Mr. Philcox said. Fruit farms bad been developed to a wonderful extent, an illustration of the growth being provided by the fact that one fruit farmer lost 2500 tons of fruit in ono hailstorm.

" Small quantities of New Zealand butter arc exported to South Africa," Mr. Philcox said. "Tho surprising feature is that it is sold at Is 6d a pound, whereas the South African butter, to my mind much inferior, is sold at Is 9d a pound. Naturally New Zealand could not build up a largo export trade in butter at Is 6d, but I am of the opinion that thero is a largo and important market for our butter in South Africa waiting development. Thero are difficulties in shipping, of courso, ns there is no direct communication between tho two countries."

Mr. Philcox mentioned that Kimberley, onco tho centre of'the diamond mining district, was now to all intents and purposes a dead town. No mining was being carried out, owing to an attempt to regulate the diamond market.

Mr. and Mrs. Philcox were accompanied from Sydney by their daughter, Mrs. E. McCorquodale.