STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES,

Otago Witness, Issue 2455, 3 April 1901, Page 6

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES,

Bt Dbotek.

JTetMy Stock Sales: I Foitnphttyt Bnrnsii'e. Wednesday* f Hon'hlv iUbburton, Tuesday* f JSion.nty. Addington Wednesdays Clinton, ralmerston amd Winton. , Tcrtnightly; Waikouaiti Oamaiu Tuesdays I uura. ' 1 The yarding of cattle at Burnside last week tras about 220 head; very few cf which weie prime beef, the yarding consisting mostly of cows and unfinished steers. All of quality fit for freezing sold readily at prices equal to those lately ruling. Best bullocks brought £9 to £10, smaller £7 10s to £8 10s, some C ood heifers £7 to £7 15s. The unfinished cattle and cows did not sell well, and went lower by fully 10s per head than the rates xuling for the previous week. Again, l Jbave to remark where would we now be were it not for our frozen beef export trade, whicn a am pleased to say is now on a firmer Ibasis than ever. I do not anticipate any Tboom prices in frozen beef, but I look for rSady market and an unlimited demand Tn Se future for prime beef, at, say 20s %o 22s per hundred, and on these limits I think farmers can rely. I do not, as I say, anticipate any boom such as we have seeu &n frozen mutton from time to time, with * he inevitable slump. I look upon t he beef export trade from Olago and Southland as unsteady thing, and one likely to assume large dimensions. We can well afford m this trade to miss the gambling excitement sometimes prevailing in our sheep marketsexcitement which may be enjoyable to some, tmt has really not benefited us generally, nor tan it do so in the long run. Latest reports from London (February 22) show that New Zealand hindquarters are selling at 4d, Wores at 3gd per lb, or fully one-eighth above best Queensland, and a farthing above River jPlate. Were New Zealand beef confined X,o fewer hands for distribution it would be Jbetter. In fact, I should like to see one tegency for New Zealand beef in London. Shis W ould go far to prevent Queensland land River Plate being palmed off on buyers as New Zealand, and, seeing that New Zealand has the best name, this is no Jdoubt often done. At the beginning of the 'trade is the time to organise and arrange ♦matters of this kind, and protect our interests. American chilled beef still brings 'fully lid over best New Zealand frozen, *nd surely we should not lose sight of this. /There should now be no insurmountable difficulty in arranging a shipping service for ■philled beef. I believe there are to be jiome interesting farmers' conferences at our JWinter show in June, and this is a sublect that should be discussed among many >tb«fe

Indeed, the time has fully come when the | fanning community will have to assert itself I and make sufficient noise to call attention to its interests. Up-to-date farmers have generally been as dumb as their own sheep, whilst labourers and manufacturers who live and fatten on them in the cities have kept paid agitators and talkers to make such a noise for them that, judging by some of the evidence given by manufacturers at the Federation Conference, it is evident the town workers and manufacturers actually have come to believe that they keep the country going instead of, as they do, living I upon the farming and producing classes. One leading manufacturer actually said that the agricultural interests were quite a minor affair in comparison with the manufacturing I intepests. I quite believe he really thought so, for w» are so apt to look at tilings i fiom our own particular standpoint. I see great need of farmers making their opinions known, and think it would be beneficial to organise at orce a Fanners' Freetrade Association, if only to counteract the growing tendency in towns to obtain further heavy protection, and so add to the burdens of the producers. I sometimes think that farmers ! and settlers hardly realise that it is they j themselves in the main who are taxed and pay heavily to keep these manufacturing industries going. Somehow the majority of townspeople don't seem to see this, and don't feel a bit thankful to those who are 1 really subscribing heavily to keep on their t feet the industries of which tney are so proud. Freetrade and Protection are the main isEves before the electors in the Commonwealth of Australia, and it may not be long before farmers here will find themselves compelled to make a move in self-defence. The most desirable solution of this question in the interests of farmers would be the adoption of an Imperial zollverein policy, now begun in Canada, and being advocated by Mr Thos. Mackenzie and some few others in New Zealand. We are a great producing country, and S2 per cent, of our exports from the land goto Britain, so that it is not difficult for farmers to see in which direction their interests lie. About 1700 sheep were yarded at Burneide last week, and the sale was a dull one, fat ewes particularly being almost unsaleable, about 2s reduction in price having to be taken to effect sales. Prime wethers were down also nearly Is per head. Freezing buyers are evidently not willing to go on except at lower rates. Lambs, however, maintained their price, the yarding, about 500, not being excessive for even local requirements. Store sheep are offered at lower rates, and it looks as if prices must come down yet. I am not surprised, for it always seemed to me that the high prices lately ruling were not warranted by market piospects. I notice that very heavy shipments, both of lamb and mutton, have left tho colony within the last month, and steamers at all ports continue loading heavily. This vill mean big arrivals in London, and of course storage and fttale meat in abundance. Every year this occurs in our New Zealand trade, and is vory disastrous. We seem as far off as ever from any organisation or method of shipment tl.at would overcome this ever-recurring misfortune. But it could be overcome, I think. Where there's a will there's a way. The question is, have farmers any will at all on this matter, or is their whole attention devoted to dealing purely of a gambling nature, whilst they lose sight of the real question at issue — namely, the marketing to best advantage of their mutton in our British markets. Instead of this being done to advantage, our meat has all along been handled and maiketed under tlie veiy wortt circum-

stances and conditions, tha great bulk of it being matketed vciy stale through long storage. Some per-ons imagine t! at frozen meat keeps it« quality no matter what length the storage. This, ia quito a mistake. After three months' freezing it deteriorates considerably. It our mutton could be shipped when frozen, and sold rapidly on arrival m London, the British public would appreciate it more. In the Canteibury maiket freezing buyers aio standing oft, and prices are lower for freezing sheep. The price of fieezing lambs is well maintained. Store sheep are quiet, and with the exception of breeding ewes are inclined to go lower in price. Cold Storage, a leading trade journal, has the following paragraph in a recent issue, and there seem-, no doubt the probecution of the Blackpool butcher by the Agent-general has done good. I ho^e he will catch another delinquent soon, and put him in the pillory. I believe one could be caught every day. I should like to see one of the bigger fish caught and exposed. There are plenty of them : — "There are tricks in every trade," is an old *aying The practice of substituting foreign meat for English has often been commented upon in the public press, and a year or two ago a Parliamentary Committee was appointed to inquire into the matter in the interest of the British agriculturist, with a view to putting a stop to it. In the frozen meat trade, as many knew, a habit largely prevails of selling as "JSew Zealand" or "Prime Canterbury mutton pnd lamb brought from countries other than New Zealand. Produceis in tJ at colony have often complained of this piactice, contending that as "the quality of the meat substituted is often inferior the reputation of their produce sutlers materially thereby. In taking action against the Blackpool butcher, in circumstances already reported-, in Cold Storage, the Agent-general for JNew Zealand is to be commended, as not only is he acting in tbe interests of the producers in the colony which he represents, but he is protecting those traders in this country who conduct then- business honestly, and also the interests of all consumers of meat. Consumers, however, can greatly assist in th° protection of their own interests by insisting that when meat is sold to them as "New Zealand" it should be so guaranteed to them on the invoice for their purchase before payment is made. The honest trader will readily give this guarantee. A refusal or hesitation to do so should put the purchaser on his guard. The oarelessness of the customer too often encourages the seller s deceit.