THE AUSTRALIAN DROUGHT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2529, 3 September 1902, Page 22

THE AUSTRALIAN DROUGHT.

RAIN IS NEW SOUTH WALES.

SYDNEY, August 27.

Aii expert estimates that of the sheep alive in December last 38 per cent, will die. He predicts a shortage of 278,000 bales of wool.

August 29.

Heavy rain is falling on the coastal areas, and has advanced some distance inland.

Butter is cheaper. Best is at Is 3d to Is 4d; New Zealand, Is 3d to Is 3*d.

August 50.

Rain has fallen heavily in the .south aud in many central stations, but very little in the northern highlands. liain continues heavy on the coast.

September 1

There is further heavy raiu in the coastal districts, aud some useful falls in the Darliug .country, but patchy.

The Federal Acting-Premier is aiTang-' ing- for September 7 as a day of national thanksgiving for the rain.

THE MARKET FOR NEW ZEALAND

SUPPLIES OF FROZEN MUTTON AND

In view of the long-protracted season of drought in New South Wales, and now happily •broken in some, portions of that colony by welcome rains, as cabled on Saturday, and its probable effect on the New Zealand meat market, a representative of this journal waited on Mr W. A. Moore, manager iv Dunedm for the Shire line of steamers, to ascertain his impressions gathered during a visit to the clroiightsfritken colony, from which he has just returned. It is (scarcely necessary to describe the effect a long-protracted dry seufion has upon, the country in New South Wales and Queensland : the grasn becomes shrivelled up to dust, the small watercourses disappear, the lurger ones dwindle to mere stagnant pooU. and the parcbed and blistered ground is given over to the all-prevailing dust. Tlie sheep and cattle depending for their sustenance tipon the water and grass — so plentiful in favourable seasons — must cither be driven off to more favoured lands, or else left to perish beweatli the pitiless glare of the sun. When warm rains fall upon thin temporary deaert the growth is of marvellous rapidity: what was dust to-day may be green vi ith vegetation on the morrow ; but. unfortunately for the larger portiou of New South Wales and Queensland, that rain has b?en withheld until within the pa&t few day*. Mr Moore, •when, approached on the subject, pointed out that if warm rains fpll in the droughtstriekco district* the stock teinaininij alive would just ba saved. jukl if cold rains the stock would perish from exposure, while if too much ra ; n fell rhe first flmh of grass -would mean tremendous mortality amount the starved sheep. Mr Moore particularly instanced a station in the western district of New South Wa!f>F whore, while in ordinary seasons 150,000 sheep wore carrir-d, great difficulty was now experienced in keeping 80,000 alive at all. and the«e wne kept existing only by artificial inoar.>, i-o>tunj £70,000 during the pa 1 -! ihe or »I\ months, including transport and wafer. The < o<!l of keep hi s stock alive h;id been «o serious a matter that owner? of .station-, pvpu after having gono to (?reat expense, had debated whether or not it would be cheaper in the end to let the stock die. The immediate result would be a benefit to Nev Zealand, as live or.d frozen mutton would be m great demand in Svdn»y at.d the larger towns of New South Walr« The Homebush yards (Sydney) put through mi an average 30,000 cheep a week for butchers' coneumlion, but now. of course, the supply was not forthcoming. In %i-»w of this fact, saul Mr Moore. New Zealand wou'd be failed upon for Jar^e supplies, an'l a Shire liner would leave Sydney tln> week to load frozen mutton and beef at Port Chalmers, Bluff, and Ijyltelton, takiug on board about 15.000 t-arcFse= of nmtion and about 2500 quarters of beef. Tn addition to this, accommodation would be provided for 2500 hve eherp ai:d probably from 50 to 100 head oi cattle. The people in New South Wales Were being; forcfd to take frozen meat, in JMjite of the general prejudice against it. The Union Company* boats were carrying hj c sfcec-k. but they couM not convey sufficient to moat t-hp demand, and consequently froxen meat had to be accepted. The larqre hotels, institutions, etc. in Sydney, to which butchers supplied meat on contract, were r.oiv agreeins? tn accept frozen meat, a.-freslily-killed meat could not be obtained. Needless to c ay. remarked Mr Moore, the butchers are losing considerable sums. As the cold storage accommodation had but bttlf ta* ÜB^a. & those who cared to take

the ri«k might feed the market : but the Sydney market was a veiy sensitive one. For instance, the Whangape had conveyed ♦000 live sheep to Sydney, and a high market was expected, but, owing to the butchers from the northern coastal towns, who were coming to the yards to buy against the Sydney butchers, being delayed at sea by rough weather, and arriving a day late, the Sj-dney buyers had command of the market, and consequently prices were lower Mr Moore thought there was an excellent market in New South Wales for New Zealand mutton. At last Sydney sales live feheep had brought splendid prices. To give an instance of the consumption of meat, he mentioned that the Buteshire had landed 1000 tons of frozen beef from Townsville at Sydney, and it had all brought a good pi ice, while the caj-eas.es were such as would not be frozen in New Zealand. While Mr Moore thought -there was a splendid market iv the di ought-stricken country for live aud frozen meat from New Zealand, he did not think the demand for live sheep could be met for long. U3 the weather would get too warm, and then it would be a case of taking frozen meat or nnthiivg. The question of restocking was a big one, xud even under the most favourable conditions ifc would take fully 18 months to restock the drought di-rtrict in New South Wales, so that during that time ihere should be p. splendid market for New Zealand frozen meat.