SHEEP SALES IN CENTRAL OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23463, 30 March 1938, Page 5

SHEEP SALES IN CENTRAL OTAGO

TO THE EDITOR Sir, —It seems that a protest against the control of some of the sheep sales in Central Otago would not be out of place. The number of sheep coming into these sales is not being correctly advertised. Who is to blame —the Stock Agents’ Association or their agents for not supplying the information? These sales usually start at Alexandra and continue down to Middlemarch, and the number of sheep offered for public auction will be between 20,000 and 30,000. In the issue of the Daily Times of Saturday, March 19, the notice of dates and numbers of sheep for these sales in the following week was placed on a page where none would look for auction sale notices, and in the case of the Alexandra sale half of the sheep brought to the yards were not advertised at all. In that issue the whole page set aside for this purpose was taken up by private sales of stock or small public sales, the numbers and money being small in each case. A number of people who required some information regarding the Central sales were quite satisfied that there had been nothing published. The financial institutions which control the farming interests in this area limit this publication of this information to a specific paper. The surplus stock from Central Otago is a feeder for Canterbury, North Otago and Southland. Big drafts of sheep are moved out from these sales to fill the requirements of farmers in these districts, and the bulk of this stock is handled by a few recognised dealers, and they work their requirements and bookings a good deal from the advertised numbers of sheep at each series of sales. A runholder brings his annual draft into the sale. This represents a good portion of his return for the year’s operations on his property, and the least he expects is that his sheep will be listed in the •public advertisements. Who is responsible for the omission? The Auctioneers’ Association draws up each year a chart of sale dates in its districts. A record of this is sent to all and sundry. It might save the postage. Its agents are there to keep their clients posted on these issues. A little more direct method of bringing sale dates before interested parties would be sounder. To emphasise my request, each Thursday’s paper details the fat stock market at Burnside—quite a screed! Even each individual seller’s name is on record. There is a reason for this probably, but it does seem that one section of sellers is being boosted and another neglected. Our requirements are small, consisting of sales in the fall of the year, and these must be recognised as a major operation in the stock owners’ interests for the season. A dry year here has rather kept farmers “ on edge ” over selling prices, and those responsible for marketing their stock can get criticised for something left in trust to those who handle that part of our organisation. Some firms are represented by practical, energetic men; other agents are not so “hot,” and show up badly by comparison. They would do well' to try to develop some of the keenness shown by their auctioneers.—l am, etc.. C. J. Spain, Chairman, Alexandra Sale Yards Company. March 26. LThe advertisements of auction sales in our issue of March 19 were so numerous that space was not available for them all on page 28. On that page, however, immediately below an advertisement of a ram fair, was published in large type the announcement: “Other sales by auction advertised by the Dunedin Stock Agents and Woolbrokers’ Association appear on page 19.” The page on which these advertisements appeared contains “ live ’’ news of general interest. The Stock Agents’ Association has expressed to us its anxiety to give the fullest publicity to all stock offering at the sales of which advice is received in time for publication. All stock advised as available for sale at the various yards is advertised regularly on Tuesdays. Thursdays, and Saturdays.—Ed. O.D.T. I