THE SHEEP STOCK OF OTAGO. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6780, 7 November 1883, Page 3

THE SHEEP STOCK OF OTAGO. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —With your permission I would make a few remarks upon the above, and in some measure help to elucidate a subject upon which tho public appear to have very bazy ideas at present. lam induced to do so from having road "Shareholder's" letter in last Wednesday's issue of the Daily Times, in which occurs tho following sensible remark: "The Compauy would look very foolish if no Bheep were forthcoming after spending their money." I will take my figures from a short article, " Progress of Otago," published in the Times laßt month, and from which it appears Otago and Southland combined possess 8,586,000 sheep; from which I will take one-third, say 1,195,333, as breeding owes actually availed of—(ewes are the most numerous, but not all utilised for breeding purposes, so that a full one-third of tho stock, with the liberal percentage of increase that I shall allow, willbe ample for my purpose)—a 75-per-cent. increase from which will givo 896,499—the figures that in reality we have to deal with to guide us as to what we can spare for tho frozen meat trade. As according to our increase, so will it be with the number to be drawn annually from our capital of stock—it would bo folly to kill the goose that lays the golden egg, our wool export—and from which numbor I will now deduct for the consumption of our population of 141,450 persons, at the rate of two and a-half sheep per head, Bay, 353,625; to which must be added the yearly decrease (always a high one in Otago, from casualties, the rough nature of the country, tutu plant, under runuers, &c.) at 10 per cent, upon the original stock return, whicli is, I presume, that of the 31st of May last, and will give 358.G00, both of which numbers, added together give 712,225 to deduct from the 896,499 of increase, leaving tho small number of 184,274 to be divided between four soparato interests — viz., the Oamaru freezing works, the Dunedin original company, Southland's portended establishment, and the farmers, who are at last beginning to see tho value of the small-flock system, and will be strong competitors. Theso figures when divided give but a littlo over 46,000 to each, showing not alone tho nonnecessity of a second company, but pointing plainly to the probability (when deprived of her hitherto resources) of Dunedin herself, with her 45.000 people to feed, realising the stern fact (the first note of alarm indicating which, was sounded the other day by her fleshers) of her not alone noivability to supply others, but a difficulty in maintaining her own. For, with Oamaru attending to her own interests in the north, Southland ditto to hers in the south, and irrepressible bunny year by year drawing his cordon of piquets closer around her in the west, what other result can be looked for ? —I am, &c, Pno Bono Publico.

November 1,