STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2240, 4 February 1897, Page 6

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By Drovkk.

Weekly Stock Sales : I nvercargill, Tuesdays. Burnside, Wednesdays Monthly: Aahburton, Tuesdays Clinton, Palmerston, Addington, Wedne3<J ys and Winton. Fortnightly: Periodically : Balclutha, Fridays Heriot, Kelso, and EyeGore, Tuesdays j burs. Oamaru, Tuesdays. - | (Communiontions or interest (a itoekbreeclers and dealers aro cordially lnrlted. All ooramunioatlom to reach Witness office not later than Monday night.l The yarding of fat cattle at Burnside was 141 head, and thin number proved over what was required, aud prices were accordingly again low. The hot weather still continues, and this checks the courumplion of beef, aud, indeed,- of all meat. Tee present low prico of beef should induce some trial of freezing for export. It is quite evident that for some time local consumption cannot well deal with the quantity on hand. Some very heavy-weight bullocks brought £8 to £9, but £7 to £8 was the price of good average. I believe a great part of the yarding vrat. uob disposed of, and I fear that shortly we >hall have an over-supply yarded, and then prices will further give way. If we get sufficient lain i-o improve feed, it will probably pay to hoM on to good baeE for a few months. Our usual bujeis for freezing found nothing to tempt them at tho Burn.«ide sheep sale last week. Tho displny consisted mainly of old ewes of all sorts and conditions. Naturally ..they were cot on for this class of meat, and there was hardly anything else worth attentiou yarded. As a freezing sheep the old ewe has been tried and found wanting, and one need not expect to see it paes as a freezer until a new race of export buyers come along. It is perhaps just as well that good wethers are not being offered just now. Late cables as to the present glut in London have made buyers )nore cautions for the present ; and, farther, it is quite apparent that when the vessels now being rapidly filled np reach London within a few weeks of each other, as they will do, there will again be a big supply on hand, even if the preient supply there is worked off. Those who can hold on to good sheep for a few months will, lam confident, do well. I only hope that many will be able to do so and that rain may shortly come to improve the feed, and especially the turnips. When rain does come there will be all over a good demand for store sheep in Anything like forward condition. In Canterbury good freezers are selling at 10s to 11s 6d, prime maiden ewes 8s to 10s, and at these prices export buyers take all coming to band. Shortly the supply of .all such must get Tery short, as the drought and hot winds in Canterbury have played havoc with the feed. Besb freezing lambs in Canterbury are worth 10s to 12s, and all prime find ready buyers. Considering the present large quantities in the freezing works and the heavy supply that will shortly be almost simultaneously landed in London, I consider these prices wonderfully good.

The Waimate took away a tew bheep and lambs from the Oamara works. These came down by rail to Port Chalmers, and arrived ia prime order and firm as possible, with the exception of a few sheep in one truck, which were soft, and being refused by the ship, were sent to Burnside. On examination of this track it could be seen that the insulation was at fault through the warping of the wood, and no doubt this caused the damage. It is not often that this happens. I have frequently scon sheep from Mafcaura aud Oamara come to Port Chi*lmer3 as hard as boards and iv perfect order ; in fact, they always do come in good order, and if otherwise any fault can be immediately traced to a cause like this present one. The Waimate sailed from Port Chalmers ou the 26th ult. with 4438 cases cheese (about 320 tons) and 1217 boxe3 butter. The lonic sailed on the 29th with 3560 boxes butter and about 3000 cases of cheese— a pretty good clear out. The Kaikoura loads on the Bth February about 160 tons cheesa and 50 tons butter. A few weeks ago it looked as if Victoria would stop exporting butter owing to the drought, but matters have changed, as they often do there, in a most remarkable manner. Latest advices show that the supply is increasing, and that during February there will be a fairly large export of best factory. February make brings 8d to B£d. In New South Wales for some time the export trade has been larger than usual, best factory butter there being bought at 7£d to od. The milk supply there seems large and increasing. I see at present no indication of any prospective export trade in butter to Australia, and am of opinion that all our February butter should go Home ; and even if this were done by all the quantity made in the following months will be more by a good deal than the local market can absorb, and if February butter is generally held_ back from shipment prices through the winter must rule low. Last year the North Island more particularly and Canterbury to some extent stored large quantities. The local trade could nob absorb anything like the quantity, and in September and October considerable shipments of his leng-stored butter went Home, and I regret to say was in many cases put on the market as New Zealand new season's butter, with a result not at all favourable to the uame of New Zaaland butter. This sort of thing should be avoided by all, and if it is to continue I think the Government graders should be instructed to mark the butber as " stored butter " or " old seasons make," so that the reputation of the new seasons' s m%ke should not be prejudiced. Attention to these matters is needful, aud everyone iv the New Zealand dairy produce trade should try to do his best to maintain good prices and a good repu'.abion for New Zealand produce for his own sake and also out of consideration for bis neighbour. After all it will be found that any selfish individual action detrimental to the trade does not pay in the long run. There was general rejoicing over ths return of M»jor M'Kinley ::s President of America, and much was made over his victory by moncmetallists, or, as they call themselves, the "sound money party." Now I dou'fc thick Major M'Kin^y is a "sound money maa." He is, «o f&r as I can understand, a believer in bimetallism, but wants international bimetallism, and only differs from his opponent in that he objects to bimetallism for America alone. His victory wts largely due to his strong protectionist views, and protectionists mainly helpad to put him in. They are now demanding their reward, And there is little doubt but that heavy duties will be put on wool, whioh will tell severely on the Australasian colonies. Gasssll'e Magazine v ays that Blondin, the celebrated tight-rope walker, when he visited Melbourne | spoke feelingly about protection, as he had to pay about £200 duty on his luggage. " Saore 1 " he said afterwards to a newspaper man, " I should like 'o carry a protectionist across the rope onee — just once ; I would make him a freetrader." When we think of all the evila of protection we ara somewhat in sympathy with this celebrated Frenchman. Our Premier, from what he has lately said, appears to favour Mr Chamberlain's idea of an Imperial zollverein, or ' freetrade between Britain and her colonies, with a tariff against foreigners. Mr Seddon has gone to the Federal Convention apparently strongly in favour of such a policy. I often wonder that the subject htw not occupied more largely the attantion of

our public men. Intercolonial freetrade is a mere bagatelle compared with it. If the Hon. ; Mr Seddon in sincere in his advocaoy of th"i 3 policy, whether it is brought about on the lines laid down by Mr Chamberlain or not, he has |an opportunity now -of making himself .really great and useful. He is regarded as undoubtedly a most able man now, but the bringing about of a great soheme of Impori&l federation such as | this would add lasting fame to his name, and he could afford to drop the paltry sham policy measurei which arc year after year brought forward merely to tickle the ears o- the ignorant &nd unthinking, and not even with the intention of having them passed into law. No country has so much to gain aa New Zaaland by Imperial federation of this kind. All Now Zealand farmers should give the matter their attention and strong advocacy lutercolonial freetrade could hardly benefit New Zealand much, and small attempts at tariff-tinkering such as Mr Ward and the South Australian Premier lately talked of are simply ridiculous. It seems to me that our insurance companies have without such any intention helped a little to demoralise the meat trade. The cover they gave included that of 60 days in store after landiug in London. It covered all risks, and I think tended to make aud keep people careless. It is now proposed by some that the risk covered should begin at shipment and end when the meat is discharged from the ship. It seems evident that the large losses made by insurance companies have been on thit 60 days' storage, but under present arrangements it i« difficult to say who is responsible for the damage. The insurance companies by an alteration in their methods, as proposed by some underwriters, would benefit themselves and the moat trade too. Of the premium at present paid would be largely reduced. On this subject the C. C. and D. Company in a recent ciroolar say :— The following proposals were presented to the Frozen Meat Importers' Association for their ; consideration and revision by some underwriters who hivo sustained heavy losses by damaged meat, but whose risks do not lie with I the principal "up-river" stores, whoso perfected arrangements for handling and management have so minimised claims that any change of system is deemed unnecessary. The»e proposals musb necessarily entail additional expense on colonial producers by extra handling. 1. It ia warranted by the assured th<vt tbe meac is in good coudition and properly dressed, ; cooled, and frozen at the commencement of the risk, and ib is expressly agreed that this warranty excludes any claim for bone-taint. 2. This risk commencps on the loadjug of the meat on board the vessel, and continues until the risk ceases as defined in the succeeding clause. j 3. All meat to be landed at a sorting shed to ! be provided by the docks, and to be there examined,, and damage ascertained. The risk jto cease on leaving tbe sorting shed. Cjuj signee to pay for his expert and underwriters ! for theirs. 4-. The insurance coverslo-s fromd e r ective con- ; ditiou of tbe meat from every ciuae (except war I risk) which shall arise during the currejey of ' the insurance. 5. Average, if amounting to 3 per cent., payable on every carcase of mutton, or lamb, or on I each piece of beef, or oa tho whole. 6 Tbe company to bo credited with any compensation or allowance obt unable from the shipowner in respect of average attaching hereto.