MR JOHN ROBERTS ON ARGENTINE COMPETITION. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12419, 31 July 1902, Page 3

MR JOHN ROBERTS ON ARGENTINE COMPETITION. TO THE EDITOR.

Sip.,—The report of the biennial conference of delegates oi Agricultural ami Pastoral Associations has just reached me, antl I see one or two statements by Mr John Roberts which cali for contradiction. First—"lt must not be- forgotten that in the Argentine flock-owners have to contend with severe epidemics of lung worm, which has swept off in ii siiigle season as many as 10,000,000 sheep." This is quite incorrect. Certainly a large percentage of lamb 3 in one or two of the wetter districts af Argentina have died from, lung worm, but no moro than what we lose hero in wet seasons. Second.—Again,' re the hordes of locusts he complains of, they have not troubled Argentina for some years, as a result of the work of the Locust Commission. Re the loss by 1 floods in the province of Buenos Ayres last year being 12,000,000, this is again inaccurate. Two yeari ago possibly 6,000,000 sheep 'were lost by flood, but this particular district is rapidly being turned into dairy land, which is,as rich as the richest in New Zealand, and which industry will, before five years are over, reduce the prico of your butter 2d per lb. As for the gold premiums being reduced, the currency will always give the producer there a big pull over New Zealand so long as they refuse to go on the gold standard, and I should think they would not be so unwise as to give that advantage up. It is no use deceiving yourselves. You- have ' only one hope, and that is to reduce the cost of production, otherwise you will lie wiped out of the London market before .many years are over.—l am, etc., A. W. Peaiise. 8 Spring street, Sydney, July 21.