STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2665, 12 April 1905, Page 8

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Br Dmorm.

Weekly Stock Stiles : Fortnightly : Burwide, Wednesdays Invercargil, Tuesdays Ashburton, Tuesdays Monthly Addingtoß.Wedneaday. Palmerstnn, Fortnightly: "Wiatop, and WaiBalclutta, Fridays ' kouaits - Gore, Tuesdays Periodically Oaaaaru, Tuesday* Heriot, Kelso, and Kyeburs.

About 150 head of cattle were yarded at Burnsidie last week, only a few of which were prime. The market had a tendency to dulness, but prices are still about equal to previous week's rates. Prime bullocks. £10 to £10 7s 6d; medium to good, £8 to £9 10s; light, £6 to £7 10s; best cows and heifers, £7 10s to £8 ss; medium cows and heifers, £5 to £6.

The cattle market througlxrat the country is dull, and without an export trade it will remain so. Prime cattle are by no means plentiful, however, and cattle generally appear to show signs of deterioration. Speaking generally, there is not by any means enough attention paid to breeding, and the •bulls in use in the dairying centres and elsewhere arc mostly of a very inferior type. If a demand for really prime beef for ex. port were to spring up, it is doubtful if any fair quantity oould be got together in Otago and Southland, and I doubt if Canterbury is in any better position. The outlook for an export trade is not very oheerful at present, as the following, from Weddel's report, under date London, February 31, shows: — Beef. — Frozen: There has been no arrival from Australia, and only 850 quarters from New Zealand ; but the River Plate import amounts to no less than 46,026 quarters. The demand for frozen beef has been particularly dull, and quotations are again the turn lower. This is largely the result of _th& heavy supply, and consequent exceptionally low prices, of North American and Rivei Plate chilled beef, which to a very considerable extent has temporarily taken the place of the frozen article with many buyers. There is now practically no Australian

beef in London, stocks being confined to a few hindqiutariters. which are quoted at 2|d to 2£d per lb. In the absence of sales, quotations for New Zealand beef ai - e

nominal at 2|d fores and 2|d to 3d per lb hinds. River Plate frozen beef of prime weights is selling at- 2|d to 2£d fores, and 2id to 2|d per lb hinds. Excessively heavy or very light weight quarters are offered at 2&d fores and 2|d per lb hinds. Chilled : 12,826 quarters have been i-e-eeived from the River Plate during the past fortnight. It is particularly unfor-

tunate that so large a quantity should have reached this market just at a time

when North American supplies are usually plentiful. The inevitable result of these

heavy ma vike tings has been a sharp drop

in prices all round. The quality and condition of River Plate offerings continue to he very good, and, at present prices, this description is to a large extent taking the place of frozen beef, and is at the same time getting an excellent advertisement. Closing prices, though exceptionally low, are above the- worst touched.

North American is selling at 3d per lb fores and 3|d to 4|d per lb hinds ; and River Plate beef at 2^d per lb fores and 3d to 3£d per lb hinds. Nor do the following reports re mutton and lamb tend to cheerfulness : — j Mutton. — New Zealand: Arrivals amount to 34,510 carcases. Notwithstanding tlie recent reduction in quotations, the demanjl for mutton has remained sjpw during the fortnight, although at the close there is slightly more inquiry for best grades. Quotations * or m edmm to large weight carcases are stationary, but the scarcity of small sheep which has been felt for some months past is now becoming still more pronounced, and prices of these )\9.Yfi consequently naoyed upwards.

Canterbury sheep of small size now realise 4£d up to 4|d per lb; the larger grades selling at 3|d to 4£d per lb. There are no Southland and Dunedin sheep available. The favourite North Island brands sell at from 3Jd to 4^d per lb, according to the size of carcase. Other North Island sheep are quoted round about 3|d to 51 d per lb.

Australian: Receipts total 41,713 carcases. The Australian sheep offered are still of a class quite unsui f ed to the requirements of this market, and their sole attraction to buyers is the fact that they are the lowest-priced description of mutton obtainable. Large carcases sell with difficulty at 2^d to 3d per lb, but up to 3gd to 3|d can be obtained for the little lots of small meaty sheep on hand.

River Plate: Importations have reached an aggregate of 134,071 carcases during tho past two weeks, The demand has received no material assistance from the low quotations current, and the most that can be reported is that no further reduotion in prices has taken place. The marketing of two damaged cargoes has, how-ev-pr, had a weakening tendency. Largecarcases are offered at 3d to 3*d per lb, but small sheep realise 3^d to 3^d per lb.

Lambs. — Arrivals consist of 106.678 carcases from Australia, 21,345 carcases from New Zealand, and 16,080 carcases from, the River Plate. There is a steadily increasing demand for lambs, especially for carcas-es of good quality. The majority of Australian importations, however, continue of quite ordinary quality, and lack finish. Best brands sell at 4|d to s^d per lb much more easily than do fair average lambs at 4-^d to 4|d, while inferior caroases range in price down to 4d per lb. The demand for new season's New Zealand lambs is quite sufficient to absorb current arrivals, and quotations are maintained at about 6£d for Canterburys, and 6d to 6id per lb for others. The best of the River Plate lambs realise 4|d to 4|d per lb, secondaries selling at 4d to 4^d per

One wonders at the prices paid at present in New Zealand how the money is to be made by exporters. The only fairly highpriced sheep in I/ondon are the small-sized prime, and we have few of these, the tendency in our breeding all along having been to coarse, heavy carcases. We still manage, however, to live on our reputation, I suppose, and keep ahead in 1 price, though not in quantity, of our great rival, the River Plate. At present River Plate is our most formidable competitor, but I am inclined to think that Australia will vet possibly be the largest supplier— that ~is. unless a drought intervenes. Australian shipments will improve in quality soon, as well as in quantity, and even now their quantity is considerable in lambs. They are making great efforts to develop the lamb trade throughout the Commonwealth.

Seeing that chilled beef is much preferred to frozen beef, and sells at a considerably fcighe. price, and seeing, also, that New Zealand beef is in quality generally superior to others, it would be advisable when we do start exporting to try to arrange with shipping companies for chilled instead of frozen chambers. The chilling pi-ocess on steamers is now past . the experimental stage it was in when our first attempt at chilled beef was made.

The sheep sale at Burnside was rather dull, but prioes were maintained at previous week's level with a struggle. Best wethers. 22s to 24s 6d, and up to 26s 6d for extra, heavy ; medium, 18s to 21s ; best ewes, 18s to 22a; inferior to medium, 14s to 17s. Lambs ranged from 12s 6d to 18s 6d, according to size, butchers being the main buyers.

The sheep market afc Addington was no more than on a par with Burnside last ■week. The lamb market was brisk, and pi ices show an improvement on those of the previous week. Tegs, 19s to 20s 3d ; prime freezing lambs, 17s to 18s 6d ; lighter, 15s to 16s. About 17,000 store sheep anl lambs were yarded. Wetdiers and gooS lambs we-re firm but backward lines. Ew.es,

als-o, were generally lower in price than of late. The principal sales were as follows ;j Wethers — 193 at 21s 3d, 1000 at 20s to 20g 2d, 574 at 19s lOd, 820 (backward) at 17s lOd. Ewes — Two-tooth, 72 at 20s Id, 250 at 18s 9d to 18a lOd, 200 (*mall) at 13s 3d ;\ sound-mouthed, 175 at 20s Bd. 68 at 20s. 250 at 20s, 192 at 19s 9d, 460 at 18s 6d to 19s, 90 at 19s 3d, 100 at 18s 6d. 150 at 18s Id, 200 at 18s; full-mouthed, 266 afc 17s Id; mixed two-tooths, 235 at 18s sd. Lambs— 3s7 at 16s 6d, 110 at 16s, 114 afc 15s, 240 at 14® 5d to 15s, 167 at 14s 9d, 263 (shorn) at 14s 4d, 300 at 14s, 491 at 13s 6cU 791 at 12s 9d, 81 (shorn) at 12s 6d, 238 afc' 12s sd. Merino ewes — Full-mouthed, 400 afc 10s Id, 168 at 7s lOd, 106 at 7s 2d.

A friend interested in the New Zealand meat trade sends me a report from the Morning; Advertiser of February 23 of a prosecution of a leading firm of West End butohers, Durce and Craddoek, on a charge of selling five carcases of lambs, delivered to Banstead Asylum, to which the false trade description of " New Zealand meat " was applied, and with selling; eight carcases of lambs, delivered to Colney, Hatch Asylum, to which was applied the false trade description of " New Zealand meat : The Ohri&tchurch Meat Company (Limited), Canterbury, N.Z." Counsel for the prosecution explained that the meat in question was delivered at the Banstead and Colney Hatch Asylums under a contract made with the London County Council in October last. By that contract, which was put tip for tender, the defendant agreed ye deliver frozen meat, including New Zealand iamb, in carcases weighing about 401b, at a price of 6s 2d per stone of 141b. On 3rd February five carcases of lambs were delivered under that contract at Banstead Asylum, each of them bearing a label with these words upon it, " New Zealand meat. This meat was killed and dressed under my supervision at the North British and Hawke's Bay Freezing Company's Works, and found free from disease." The man who received the carcases at once suspected that they were not New Zealand meat, but an inferior meat from Australia, and a storekeeper of the London County Council who chanced to call the same day oame to the same conclusion. The. matter was reported, and by the instructions of a committee of the London County Council an expert — Mr Cameron, a gentlman connected with the New Zealand Government* — was called in, who at once declared that the carcases were undoubtedly Australian meat, which was worth in the market afc past 2d per lb less than tho New Zealand meat. Three days later eight carcases were delivered at Colney Hatch, and these being suspected as well they were examined by the expert already referred to and a practical man at the meat market, both of whom agreed that they were not New Zealand meat at all, though they were labelled as such. It would seem, continuecl counsel, that the- labels were taken off the genuine New Zealand meat when it was imported into this country, and were affixed to this meat from Australia. This was shown by the fact that on the back of the labels were figures showing that they had been attached to carcases weighing from; 751b to 821b, thus proving conclusively thafc they weire originally attached to New Zealand sheep, and not lambs at all ; for no Australian lamb ever weighed as much as that. The case was adjoui'ned to enable a further summons to be taken out against the defendant under another section of the act.

My friend says that Mr H. C Cameron has been again on the warpath hunting down the fraudulent moat trader, for whom he has a great aversion, and maintains that because of him no honest seller of New Zealand meat can make headway in London. Not only does the fraud obtain money from consumers by fake pretences and prevent honest traders prospering, but it discredits the merits of New Zealand meat, and prevents it advancing in reputation and price. The people in New Zealand are blind to their own interests, being satisfied that because New Zealand prioes are good, owing to short supplies from all sources (not from New Zealand alone) ar the present time, they will continue so for over, and therefore they refuse to brand! their meat. By branding only will the> New Zealand meat be specialised and advertised. As may be seen from the report from which the extract is given the case is a most interesting one. The London County Council brought the matte, under Mr H. C. Cameron's notice, and on Mr Cameron's advice undertook to prosecute the contractor, Mr Cameron, giving every assistance. Tlie case has since been finished, the contractors being convicted. My friend also says the tags on New Zealand sheep afc present in use are worse than .useless, and lend themselves to fraud, it being easy to take them off New Zealand sheep and lambs and put them on to inferior River Plate or Australian, the genuine New Zealand needing no tag— the tag on our sheep thus being a great help to inferior River Plate or Australian.

The following remarks on dairy factory managers' remuneration appeared in a recent issue of the- Canterbury Times: — The conditions on which many dairy factory managers or butter 'or cheese makers are employed have often been the subject of adverse comment. Directors of dairy companies, when appointing managers, have generally acted upon the principle of getting as much as possible for their money — paying the minimum of salary for the maximum of service. — often with very doubtful economy. The. dairy conferences and the Butter and Cheese Makers' Association have^ frequently discussed the question of _ inadequate remuneration and objectionable conditions of employment, but, we fear,

without much result. It is, therefore, with the greater pleasure that we notice

the conditions on which the Mataura Dairy Factory invites applications for the position of cheese maker for next season. Th-ere arc three sets of conditions, and applications may be made under any or all of them. The first is of the usual! character, by which the cheese is to be made at a contract price per 1001b, the contractor providing assistance and all material except milk ; but with the notel worthy provision that " the cheese made up to April 30 must be first grade, and? a bonus of £10 will be paid for each' point over an average of 90 points on the season, on the Government grader's certificates, and a penalty of £2 per ton will be imposed for any cheese that may. be classed as second grade " (presumably the contractor will be given a free hand regarding the rejection of inferior milk). The second set of conditions are the sama as the forcgoingj excepting that the eon*

tractor will supply labour only, the company providing all material; and under the third conditions the company offers a^ stated salary for the services of a cl-eess maker, the bom:s and penalty beinj (part of the bargain in each case. A good house is provided. Our preference is for the third set of conditions. "We hold that the employers should decide what the services of a suitable man are worth to them, and should then secure the best

man they can get for the money. Th-o other conditions favour too much of sweating, the contractor befng tempted to employ cheap labour and material, even at the risk of losing the bonus for superior or incurring the penalty for inferior cheese. The bonus is a mest commendable feature of the conditions, and calculated to encourage- the maker to use his knowledge and energies to the full in producing cheese of the highest grade ; the points necessary to earn the bonus, tco, are not set inordinately high. We should like to tee the adoption of a uniform form of contract between directors and inanagei's of dairy factories, but, meantime, the Mataura conditions are a de-

cidej advance upon those in general use,

On this important matter I entirely agree •with the writer of the remarks quoted. The Mataura Company engage Mr Milne, of Te Tua, as cheese maiker on salary. I am of opinion that the assistants ought to be/ better paid than many are at present. The contract system of making is a wrong one, S/n& I am confident our Dairy Commissioner and staff will agree that in the best interests of the New Zealand cheese industry it should be abolished. I have always held this view, and have often advocated it in this column.