DEEP STR&AW.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 39

February I.— The wool season is jow almost closed, and a few remarks thereon m«y Do-t be doemoa ent of place at the present time. The clip, on the whole, has proved a heavy one, both in respect to quantity «nd also quality. On all sides it -is universally admitted by the flock-owners to have proved one of the best jlips shorn from the flocks for a number of years past, while the. percentage of lambs marked by a number of small sheep-farmers in this locality nan into three- figures of strong, healthy lambs, leepite a shortage of feed for several months last year prior to the period when the ewe flocks were timed to lamb. It may be trulysaid that the pastoral outlook here, -despite the spell of dry weather recently experienced in the interior of Otago. is exceedingly bright, as the stock are id good condition., and will continue to improve as the season advances. I witnessed the shearing of so)7i« 17.000 .«heep at Rocklands Station during the currenj season, the property of Mr Allan Boyd (the lessee of this pastoral run), and a very good clip jras shorn from his flocks of the finest quality that I have seen at Eocklands for several seasons past. When I state that th© current season's clip exceeded the previous year's by 24 bales of wool, at an average of 3cwt each, from the same number of sheep shorn, it will be /eadily seen what a splendid! clip Mr Allan Boyd has shorn from his flocks this season. Mr Boyo! sustained heavy losses of stock in the elevated regions of thr Lanimerlaw to tile knowledge of the writer, and had to bear it. But now a change for the better has set in, and it is to be hoped that it will continue for m*ny years to come. With a carrying capacity of 20.000 sheerRocklards is one of the best pastoral runs • in Otago Five thousand lambs were marked this sea=on at the homestead.. The Ciops. — Some splendid crops are to b* seen growing alongside the road on Clark's Junction to Outram, but owing to the high altitude will not be ready for the reape and binder for some time to come. I noted also some pood potatoes and turnips of very strong growth at Mount CJowrie Farm, Romarua, M'Dona]d's, and others when travelling down that way a few days. ago. Shearers' Dispute. — It is worthy of remark that not a single shearing season is allowed to pass without some shearers' grievance cropping up m some part of the Dominion. In many instances the grievances aie more imaginary than real. I venture to a&sert that the sheaiers have secured more concessions from employers of labour, backed up by the Legislature, during the past few years than have been awarded to any other class of labour in the Dominion, and yet some trouV.e crops- up annually as sure a 9 the year to-llm round. The average earnings of a. number of the shearers this season, to the knowledge of the writer, was at the rate of £6 per week, with food, and accommodation provided as well It =eem? to me from what has- passed under my notice that the shearers' grievances are rapidly approaching a critical stage, and unless the sheareis ar« held in check with a. mm hand I am persuaded that the day is not far di'tnnt when they will be in a dominant position, and able to dictate their own Terms to employers of labour. In the event of an employe* refusing to accept their arbitrary t»rim a strike will follow, and the flock-owner will be put to great inconvenience.