MR CAMERON ON NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE IN LONDON. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2299, 24 March 1898, Page 14

MR CAMERON ON NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE IN LONDON. (From Our Own Correspondent. )

Wei .i ington, March 20. In his report to the Agent-gsceral (whicls fcivs jvss rocbed tlio Agiicalfvral department), Mr H. C. Cameron, ike New Zealand expert at Home, makes the followi»g remarks :—": — " Sinee^ making my last report only two vessels have arrived from New Zealand — the Rangitira (on January 31) and the Kaikoura (on February 8). As 80 iambs were all that arrived on the Kaikuura, the small fuppiy of 22.375 carcases of mutton and 1187 carcases of lamb only has been received during a mouth. It would naturally be experttd hhab this unusually small quantity of mut-tom coming forward would have helped to firm prices, especially as only very light shipments are looked for for some time. Instead, J-owever, trade is excepiiousllj dull, with lea- prices. This is all the more mna«kabir &», at &it, time of the year, with fis.vou>ab:* wcafctiey, such "as we ai6 up* (XpsricL-cirg,. prices in former years could be gtneraliv counted upoa to harden, and ib is difficult to account for the unsatisfactory stata of things at present ptevailiug. There certainly is no doubt there should bs an increasing demand for New Zealand mutton, and I can only again urge that tbe producers in New Zealand should eriou?ly consider tho bast maaus Co be t*ken by them to materially improve the markets for their meat in this country. It is deplorable to think that such a great iodus.ry should have to remain almost stationary, as it has done during the last & w years, or at all events that what; increase in consumption has b?eu gained should only be attained by the aecj-p.-a.nce of reduced prices, when it is undoubted that, hy energetic ineasujfiK being t»ken hy the produceis themselves, there i 3 a large fisld ready for development Fottuoatfly for the shippers of the few lambs that have come to hand prices for these have befcn good*, as high as" 7d per 1b having been readily paid for-ythoE-e of the finest; quality. The number arriving so iar, of courut-, his beeu sm?ll, and as the early iamb reason may be said to commence here on ihe Ist Febi vary the demand is much in excess of. the supply. Although a number of the lambs have been of exceptionally fine quality other d have certainly been no crt-dib to thfa colony, lacking condition and finish, and aa there wts a dernatid which h«U to be supplied the shipper* o p thf-nt tcs.y l>* cousidi rtd lucky in obtaining W h>«> - * ; c<»s realised." A Mi ft, i. A' l;l'u'. " Tbe following car-e was heard at the Dunedin S.M. Court on Monday : — Walter Bkckie (East Taieri) v. Wright, Stepheiißon, and Co. — Claim £60, damages for breach of a v anaafcy to supply sheep.— Mr Allan, with him Mr Payne, appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr Husking for the defendants —In this cast his- Worship gave judgment as follows :— " It i.-> clear tbac the theep were placed under offer l>y defendants, and that Mr Blackie acceptci: the offer. The letters of March 27, April 1 ana 22, 185*7. are s>uißeient evidence of the contract to satisfy the Statute of Frauds. 51 r Johnston ha? swoin that the sheep w«re placed with the defendauts for sale ou the £fi«h March by Mr Charles Freeman at Bs, pnbj-cr, ocJy 1o theii not being-sold by his father—Mr James Fre-siiian. Mr Charle3 • Freeman swore that he told Mr Johnston he could not put them unuer i.ffYr until he had seen his father ; Al r Pateilo .-.woi c that air John ston and Mr Charles Freeman came to him at, the Cot'esbrook eale — that i«, on tLe 26rh March— and -Mr Johnston, in Mr Fietsmaii's presence, offered him a quantity rf sheep at 9s, but the price in his opinidn t eing too high he declined to go to inspect tliitu. This evrfencij is str -rgiy t-ot i i/borative of Sir Join Rtcn's, an'i satisfies mv that Mr Johnston, with Mr Cbailes_ freeman's knowledge and appiova), was trying to find a purchaser at 9s. There are no sufficient giounds for disputing the evidence of father and son that Mr James Freeman was tbe owner of the sheep. Mr Johnston's evidence shows that the authoiity to sell wav subordinate to the sheep not beiog s--ld by Mr James Freeman, and be was rocognised by defendants soon as t, c dispute arose. From that time Mr Charles Freriu.iu was never consulted, all coiuimmicatious being with Mr Jame3 Freeman 'he latter hsjs fcwoin that he did not authori«e his son to place the sheep under offer, his has sworn to the same effect, and defendants are not in a po>ition to prove to the contrary. It appear^, al-o, by Mr Johnston's evidence that on the 2nd ApnJ, at a time which is -hown to be before Mr Bla"kiy telephoned that he accepted tbe offer, M' James Freeman was in his office, that hf (Mr J. hr-sfcoo) told Mr Fte->man his son baJ offfcivil his sheej) through their fiim at &s and thatMrFreeman replied, "Ah, well, I don't con-s-nt to sell under 10s." Mr Johnston replied that the offer must hold good so far as Ulackie waa concerned. Mr Johnston bas explained that he thought as Mr Blackie had sent an agent to examine the sheep the offer should be kept open till tbe ngent leturned, and that he rang up Mr Bl.ickie, while Mr Fr.eei man was in the office, to ioquhe whether jhe Lad returne>i.* Mr Johnston at that time, ! before acceptance by Mr Blackie, coul'i havesecured | his^ firm fvom liability by, withdrawing the offer, I and it is through tiying to secure fan; play for Mr j Blackie tlie defendants are subject to this claim. ! It (-eecis clear law that .if. a person puiports to | contiacr. as ajrent for another there is ,an .implied i wairinty on bis pai^ that he has authoiity to bind the piiucipal, and he may recover damages necessarily occasioned bj- a breach of wairanty, tbough he acted bonu fide. The measure of damages is the difference between tha contract price and that at which a similar class of sheep could have been bought at the time, or shortly after Mr Blackie was informed Mr Fieeman would not deliver. Mr Johnston says there were s-iles of the same description of sheep »t 9-; on the :-sl»t March, and ds 3d on the 10th April of a mob tlmt had been turnip fed in the winter. It i 3 also in evidence that Mr James Freeman instructed Mr Johnston to rffer Mr Blackie 9s fid after he found he could not get delivery at 9s. After this the market rose, and the same sheep were sold on April 7, the bulk at 10s, and 18!) atSj b'd. There is a difficulty in fixing the relative value of one flock of sheep from another. flock, and theie is the lact that an additional buyer in the market would, tend in some degre-i to raise value?. I think it will be fair to fix the value of the sheep about the 3rd April at 9s 6d, and to assess the damages at Cd per head. Judgment for plaintiff for £30 ; costs of court (675), witnesses (£5 2s 8d), professional costs (C&s).