PRICE OF MEAT.-DEPUTATION TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 894, 1 November 1864, Page 4

PRICE OF MEAT.-DEPUTATION TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

The deputation recently appointed to present', a peition, priying that th^ p >rts may hs opened, for 'he importation of tcock, wiited ye-sterday oa his Honor the Superintendent. The deputation consisted of Messrs Bastings, Coats, E3IU, Dean, North aud Tnlbat. They were accompanied byMessrs Rpyn ids, Kiljour, and Birch, and introduce i to hi* Honor by Mr Reynold.-". Mr Reynold:) sail he had been requested t» app'.y for a postponement, of the recspton of the iliput :tion until Tuursiiay luxt. iv order to afford time for obtaining a more complete exnression of I'Uiilic opinion. There Wite wrre already 2500 si^natari.s attai h-id to the petit oi, aud it was confidently expected that a much lamer namber woai.'l be oht-dned if the diluy were granted. His Humor wished to know whether it was desired that he should give a decided answer to the dnputifion tbat<;nyT Mr Reynolds thought it would be premature te do co. ~. His Honor said he did not. thinlc the question would bs influenced so muoh by any outward pressu'n a< b.» the facts. He believed it was the general impression that the poris should be imimmudiatul.v opene-l in ordsr to re.'uee the priea ot meat. H'h own opinion of toe matter wasthat the present hi<{h prto-.i whs owing alt gi-ther to the scarcity of th it commodity. He iniyht say that he had be<n miking careful inquiries oa the subject for some time imst, and that was the co.iclu4')n bo ha.l arrived at - T but as snon as he could obtain reliable evidence hat >uch w«a not the fact, ami it could be shown that the op jnii)ic of the ports wouli be at all likefy to reduce the pri c materially, he would at once open them. He was vtry mil h afrid, however f th -.t there was something unilerlyircjr the questiou—more than ap^^ared on tlie surface. He had nscenaineil that pood mutlou could be proc <red from stoekowneis at five pence a pound, n:v< that they were prepared to enter into a contract to supply if. in DuiT-din at sixpence pecpound for some montls to come If'uch werethe case hecould not understand why it should be retailed at the existing p icfi< in to-vn. It appeared evident to him that if stockowners could sffjrd to rear stock for three years, and take all the risk which they aoscssarily musf. «ncounter, butchers could <>ff-<"' to sellgmeat at less than sixpence p«r pound proti;. Mr iisE ,ow>s wi->hc'l to ohservo that he nad form«(i 11 i/olilly different opinion from thatwhiol*: h.v\ j fit bco" expreisod by his Honor. He had gone ovur the rtporc of Mr i»ogie. the. inspector, ciuefullv, and be found it staled there that (herd w.is. no( sufneient stock in t.'ie country to support the population. That was the rial causa of the d-!ar.itS3 of me^-.t at pj'eaenft. Ho had asked the Cou'icil t>"> delay coining toany decision until Mr Louie's report should bs before them; and he must say it appeared to h;m that there was no valid icison for not doingj so. Mr Losie was either cotnpotent to hold his present position or he was not If his statements or opinions were not re!fable, ha shouldr noi be retained in that position ; if otherwise, liis assertions should be taken for -what they were worth. His Honor said he belifveil that Mr Logic tiai had reasons to modify the opiuions v^hich he bad expressed on the suKj -ct. Mr Reynolds c mid only *ay that he had been. personally iufoi-incd by Mr Lo^ie, thit there were not at prese.'t sufficient cattle or sheep in th& Province to supply the popul ttion. His Honor sii'i he h id it on what he considered reliaM3 authority, that mutton cou!d be supplied at. the pric lie hid stated. Mr CR.vrusaiil it was the general impressvoa tlint. the son.-i^era were not prepared to supply meat at ths'prises meatiooeil, atv.i from his owo. knowledge be eou d Blare that there was not a. sufficient nuiabsr cf ahoep in the Province to.

enable them to co ro. He wa< avare that Ifr Gleeson had staled that lie was p^ep ired to sell mutton at fivo p<nee a j oimi, bu' to show liow unreliable such statements were, he tnighf. Bay tb.it the fhoep on that gentleman's run w ro not only scabby, but were uiifit in other r.sptet-; for the market. His Honor said hi had not fornvd h;s opinion from anythiog which Mr iJUihso.! had btated, but from his own. t>nnwle''ere of the matter. Mr Ceatk believed -hit th re were not at the present time more thin 30 000 fit siocu in ti.e Province, ami the number 'hat coul i ha raisi-d aniually did not excee I 5.0(10 and «s cont-i ier:ibly over that number whs iv quired to supply Danedin alone, it must he evident that the quantity of stock wiis not sufficient. Mr Reynolds paid it must b" uwierstnoi that out of 30.000 cattlo. the eatim-U- d number tit present in the Province, there were probably not more than 2 '.000 fat stock, His HohOR wis"ed to knowin what wviy Hi" mnrket weald be improved by the importation ol catt'e. Mr Reynolds believed it was t!i • pener.il !•■- ------pressioa that by irnpo ting fat stock th.; prices would be lowered cti'-id-.' ably. His Honor said in'he event of opening the ports ther • w.is O!.e point wl/^'i !)•• wMiH'i ta be ■particularly clear about, whinli whs thp.tno h^r imported into the Provide* from any colony should be allowed to be slauuhtfred until after it hnd been landed one week at Imst. In reply to foine.ob'erv.iti >ns, His Honor said the question to be deride! was not to be considered as having nnyt'iing to do with v. ste1 interests or othcrwi-r>. What lie had to consider was whet >er or not the price of meat would be lowered by th" importation ol cattle. He (lid not ihiuk i> woul> desirable <o artopt the principle of fl->atiutr - abbatoirs. With reference to the a-tion which had been already taken, it must be borne in mind that the Council represented the opii.i i: of tbe Province, and ps they hnd decided tlmt the por's should not he opened, be musl hive cood grounds 'for arriving: at a conclu-ion ht variance with that. ■ decision. He did not cons Her it at all probab c that the Governor would net in opposition to the coarse wbch he might adopt in de-dt-ji with the mater, and in the pvent of the C.iU' ci - opposing him ho bsd no doubt he coul • giv-' satisfactory reasons for his deuiion. He w^ul' Hot then, h'twerer, gi'"e a decided opinion as to ■what that cnu'Sj would be, but would no propared to da so on Thursday next, by wh'uh time he hoped to obtnin such further information af ■■wmld enable him to arrive nt a decision ; »»i'l if it could be shown thnt by itnnortition <>r otherwise die price of meat, <v>uld be reduce I, h« "would take mecfure.s to efifcet the ot ject desire I. The deputation tbfn withdrew.