AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2370, 3 August 1899, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The following letter appears in Saturday* Timaru Herald under the heading "Prim* Canterbury" : — Happening to glance over thft reporL of last week'e Burnside market, in the ' Otago Daily Times, I noticed that a great; bulk of the yarding was bought by a northern buyer, and railed north. .making inquiries I find that during theT la,Bfc-few weeks representatives of a well-known coinfil^fcigjf .'

of stock operators .have been very busy in Otago and Southland, with" the result that, df .my information -is correct, several" thousands pi fat sheep and lambs have been brought lip f rom the and put through either Islington or Timaru works. I do not know whether these actually 'go Home specially marked to, show, that -they are not Canterbury meat. If not, it surely seems a pity ■ .that the directors of the meat company should not be more watchful of the interests of the Canterbury meat trade and take ..a broader __.j .view of their responsibilities. Some time , sinoe -a great" fuss was made because of an j attempt to misrepresent Otago meat by the j gjkacy-of the Canterbury name/ but to the j unprejudiced mind the wholesale importation of southern fat stock iuid its subsequent shipment under what -is practically false 'colours, is a species of business which I am astonished to find leading Christchurcb business men blindly concurring' in^ and presumably approving of. To all who wish to see the presiije of Canterbury's good name for, mutton and lamb continue,' and the type of sheep per- ! petuated which has made the frozen meat facile princeps on the London market, this abuse of our factories is greatly to be deplored. Surely the flocks of Canterbury are sufficient in size and .-number for even the most extensive operations without scouring •the country from Hurunui to the jßluff. The j matter is one of the' greatest public interest, i and I do' not think I'am wrong in saying that the majority of Canterbury, farmers, and all i ■who .like .to see fairplay, will concur with me ! in- urging that steps be taken 'to put 4, stop to' this^ esil. Surely the -gentlemen constituting -the Chamber of Commerce canno_t "blind themselves to the ultimate effect on, the - distinctive character of our meat if the Irade goes unchecked.