STOCK AND GRAZED NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 8

STOCK AND GRAZED NOTES.

By Daoro. Weekly Stock Sales : Fortwghthj : Bur»iide. Wednesdaya InvercargiU, Tuesdays Ashburton, Tuesday* Monthly: Addington.Wedneiday B Clinto?i p a i m er*tr> B , Fortnightly: Wintop, and WaiBalclutb*, Fridays k< £ lai . t !;. „ Gore. Tuesdays PeriodicallyOamaru, Tuesdays Heriot, Kelso, and Kyeburm. About 180 head of cattle were yarded at Burnside last week, some two-thirds of which were good to prime beef. Prices improved considerably on those of the previous week — about 15s per head on primest. Prime bullocks sold at £9 10s to over £10; medium, £7 10s to £8; light, £5 to £6; good cows and heifers £6 to £7 ; inferior, £3 to £4-.

Only about 900 sheep were yarded, and butchers, with the able assistance of the skilful auctioneers, ran prices to a, fairly high level, or about Is 6d over the previous week's rates. Best wethers, 22s to 255 ; medium, about 20s j best fat ewes, 20s to 245; old to medium, 15s to 19s. Nearly 1000 lambs were yarded l , and there was no lack of competition. Butchers and exporters were both. keen. Prices ran from. 13s to 17s 6d. They were only fair-qua-lity all over.

„ The fat sheep market at Addington last week, unlike. Burnside, was dull, and prices show a fall on those of the previous week of Is on wethers and about 2s on butchers' ewes, but they were still about on a par with Burnside rates. The lamb market at Addington was very brisk ; tegs brought 19s to 22s 6d; prime freezing lambs, 17s 6d to 18s 6d; medium, 15s to l&s 6d. The store sheep sale at Addington was brisk. Evidently farmers are hungery for sheep at any price. Wethers, from 19s to 22s 6d ; two-tooth, 17s 6d to 18s 6d; eyres, 19s to 235; culls, 13s 6d to 17-s.

Over 60,000 sheep were landed at Lyttelton from the North Island dtiring March, and some thousands have also landed at Timaru from the Chatham Islands, and more are coming forward yet.

At 3 public dinner the other night Mr A. W. Ruthei-ford said that the small settlers who paid 36s 4d for ewes should' remember that it was not the large squatters who made the price. It was the fanners themselves, with, he added, "just a little assistance from, the auctioneer?." Yes, I should say the skilful auctioneer played a leading part La this act.

The selling up of large squatters lately lias been all in their favour. Some of th© large squatters of old days, if alive, would be astonished to see such a finale. Th§ sales at Burwood and Greenfield were all at rates that no cquatter ever dreamt of in

I for one am glad' to see them having 6uoTi a good send-off, as having known the squatters of old days and their struggles and trials and their pluck, I have a great respect for them, and am sorry they are* being wiped out, while I am jiot at all sure that the policy of doing so is a wise one. As a matter of fact. I don't believe that the cutting up of many of the runs is in the best interests of the country, nor of the would-be small holders who ar© to take the place of the large holders. Wool has been lower than it is now, and may be so again. Siheep are high, and will certainly be much lower in a year or so. A small run that would pay at present might- probably be a disastrous speculation later on. There is room yet, I think, for the large runholder, leaving plenty for the smaller farmer. Settlement for the poor man is most piomising on the beet land 1 in small blocks.

The Near Zealand Refrigerating Company, with its works at Burnsid© and Oamaru, has been absorbed by — or shall I say amalgamated with? — the Christchurch Meat Company. The New Zealand Refrigerating Company is the pioneer refrigerating company in New Zealand, and it is a pity to see an Otago industry swallowed up in this way. It is not usual : in fact. Otago industries generally extend and flourish all over the colony. This company, however, all hough started mainly by sheep owne.-s and farmers, has passed out of their hands of late years. Few farmers have given it any support by freezing sheep on their own account, and very fe-w sheep farmers have any interest in it as shareholders. From a shareholder's point of view, the move is certainly advantageous, and I hear that proxies from shareholders in favour of the amalgamation are flowing in to the secretary, and the decision of the directors t~> amalgamate will be confirmed without doubt at" the general meeting called for the purpose. Whether the change is one in favour of sheep farmers remains to be seen, and I hope the result will be beneficial. If not, sheep farmers "in this district have themselves to blame. This company has struggled along for years, doing little good for itself and its shareholders, but ail imn.ense deal of good to sheep farmers in the district, for had it not been for *he competition cav.sed by the efforts of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company to keep going, prices paid by Canterbury buyers would have been much lower — indeed, they would have had a sort of walk over. There is still, of course, the Southland works; possible- they, too, may be absorbed ere long, and then it will be interesting to watch the course of events. Possibly then farmers will begin to talk of erecting works of their own, and a very bard battle they would have to fight, unless they drew together and worked together; and, so far as I have yet s«en, that ia what farmers won't do. They never do combine and stick together on any subjeot. Politicians know this, and don't _ count much on the farmers' vote at any time, for they are always split up. I remember the Hon. Mr Lee Smith, at an election, told the Kaitangata miners this, as he wanted their solid' vote, though in this he did. not succeed, for the able and lamented Scobie Mackenzie captured it by. his sheer ability and taot. I certainly regret most sincerely that we cannot, among Otago farmers, run *aiT"lirst-rate meat works as well as Canterbury. It would "save our face," and make the ohange more palatable, perhaps, if the Christchurch Meat Company would now cbans?e their name to the New Zealand Refrigerating Company. This would also be palatable to the Timaru people, as "Christchurch" Meat Company does not sound well in the ears of South Canterbury folk, or Timaru p&ople. Oamaru, also, would no doubt like it better. Already I fancy I begin to see some of the results of the amalgamation or absorbing process, for both -the Canterbury companies have announced an increase in the freezing and fellmon'S'frring rates, and this notwithstanding great profits on the by-products^ They explain in doing so that these departments — freezing and fellmcngering — have been conducted at a loss, the effect of Arbitration Court decisions. They appear also to admit that rivalry between the two companies has resulted in unprofitable cutting, which is now to be ended. Under recent rates freezing, slaughtering, bagging, railage, freiaht, etc., have cost more than the consolidated rate, and have, in a word, been done for less than nothinar. The fact is, about four times as much freezing capacity is, now provided in Canterbury at the various worfes as is ever likely to be required, and some one hasi to pay for this and provide dividends for the investing public, and the question as to who is to do this I leave farmers to think out for themselves.