SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1639, 29 July 1903, Page 56

SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE.

OPINIONS OF A LIVE STOCK DEALER. Air C. H. Rowan, of Messrs Rowan, Tuoker and Sabine, one of the largest Jive stock importing firms in South .Africa, is at present in Wellington, having come to New Zealand to ascertain whether this colony can compete with other countries in supplying live stock. Interviewed by a representative of this paper, Sir Rowan stated that his firm’s headquarters were at Stauderton, in the Transvaal—a handy centre for the distribution of live stock to outlying towns such as Ermelo, Vredefort, Heidelberg, Vrede, Carolina, Bethlehem and to many small military startions and mining towns. The firm holds a contract from tho Imperial Government to supply live stock to certain troops. As the average number of fat sheep supplied to these alone is about 2500 monthly, and the supply needed by the butchers in the towns mentioned is rather more than that it is easily seen that the business is a considerable one. Air Rowan remarked that the class of sheep shipped to South Africa by the Oooeyanna recently were store sheep, and not suitable for South Africa at alj. It will very much surprise him if a loss is not suffered on that transaction. What Is needed are fat sheep of an average weight of 651bs. These, Mr Rowan states, he can obtain from the Argentine at a cost of 32s per head at Durban or Capetown—about 4s cheaper than similar sheep can.foe landed there from New Zealand at present rates of Height. His object in coming to New Zealand is that owing to fi’equent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease among shipments from the Argentine, it has been necessary to kill the sheep in the harbour at Durban and sell the carcases that are passed at a big sacrifice. Just before Mr Rowan left an experience of this sort necessitated him sealing some 3300 sheep, for which 32s each had teen paid, at 10s. As the delay and loss these outbreaks entail are very serious the firm now desires to open up a permanent connection with this colony if it can be arranged on a remunerative basis. They purchased recently through the agency of Messrs G. S. Yuill and Co., some 200 fat sheep about the right weight, ex the Surrey, and these turned out really well. A©

far as Mr Rowan sees at present the class of sheep to be obtained in Now South Wales at a freight rate or its would be more remunerative than paying a 12s 6d freight from Wellington the ruling rate at present. As lor Argentine cattle, Mr Rowan has boon paying an average of £l6 10s per 7oolb bullock, c.if., at Capetown or .Durban, the same argument applying to them as to shcop in the matter of freight rates. In regard to the shipment of sheep from New Zealand, he suggests improvements on the linos of tho system adopted by Houlder Bros., whose steamers carry the bulk of tho .Uve stock from Argentina to the united Kingdom and South Africa. Iho sheep pons on those boats have proper wooden racks on three sides of the pons, so that all the sheep can feed comfortably at the one time, and in place of shallow water-troughs they have a halfbarrel placed firmly in the centre of the pen. The majority of the sheep may thus drink together. He stigmatises the present methods as absolutely cruel. Mr Rowan said that all New Zealand sheep lose weight both on the voyage and in Africa, I lie first case is natural, but in the second it is the Transvaal grass which appears to bo too sour for them to thrive on. r Io make matter's woree, they are almost immediately attacked by ticks and ail of the illnesses so prevalent in South Africa. Messrs Rowan, Tucker and Sabine ai-e large importers of fodder, the whole of which, with the exception of oats (which are wholly supplied, by New Zealand) is obtained from the Argentine. Prices c.i.f. at Capetown or Durban wore, when Air Rowan IoR, as follows: — Bran, 4s 9d per 1001 b; pressed fodder, 7s to 7s 6d per 1001 b; hay, 4s 6d per lOOib ; mealies (North American), Os 3d ; ditto (Sot-nth American), 5s 9d. Oats were about Os 4d per 1001 b. Tho railway freights were extremely high, averaging about 5s per 1001 b ail round for carriage to Stauderton., 300 miles inland. The oats that are grown in the Argentine are very poor ‘indeed, and in no way compare with those grown in this colony. The average trip of a cattle steamer from Buenos Ayres to Capetown is seventeen days, whereas tlie steamers from New Zealand occupy twenty-one days at least on the trip to the same port.

Mr Rowan, who is staying at the Trocadero, will remain about a month in the colony, making Wellington his headquarters.