Poverty Bay Herald.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5622, 18 November 1889, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald.

PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

GISBORNE, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 18S9. RIVER PLATE FLOCKS. On the first of the present month the following cablegram appeared in this paper : — " Buenos Ayres, October 31.— There is great mortality in the sheep throughout the Argentine Republic, and it is estimated that fully twenty millions have died." No statement was made as to whether the alarming mortality had ceased. The latest statistics to hand give seventy five millions as the number of sheep in the Argentine, so if the above cablegram is correct over aquarterof the total number of these have perished, the mortality probably occurring within a few weeks. English papers by the last mail made no mention of the loss. A gentleman who is interested in sheepfarming brought to us this morning an extract from the London Times, in which it is stated " that the- clip of wool in the Argentine Republic this year will be very large. The number of sheep is 20 per cent, greater than was the case two years ago, and the breed has improved, so that a larger quantity of wool per sheep will be the result. It is expected that this year the Argentine Republic will for the first time, export, sheep for sheep, as much wool as the Australasian colonies." The latest copy of the Times which has reached this colony is dated October 5, four weeks esirlier than the date of the Buenos Ayres cablegram. The London office of the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency, reporting on October 5, states that conflicting accounts had reached England as to the outturn of the forthcoming River Plate clip, but that the most recent advices point to the conclusion that there would be no material increase in that centre of pro-duc-ion. The " conflicting accounts" perhaps referred to the mortality that was then taking place in agriculture flocks. There is every probability that the cablegram from Buenos Ayres was correct. The next mail should bring confirmation or contradiction. The remark of the Times that it is expected that this year the return per sheep from wool in the Argentine will be equal to that realized in Australia, embodies a very sanguine view of the immediate future of the pastoral industry in the former country. The value of the wool exports from New Zealand alone is about three million and a quarter sterling clipped from fifteen million sheep. Tins gives a return of about 4s 3d per sheep. Tlie total value of the Argentine wool export,including sheepskins, which are always sent Home as sheepskins, and never operated upon by the fellmonger, does not exceed L 5,500,000,, 500,000, which is not more than half the value of the wool exported from New South Wales alone. The wool return in the Argentine averages about Is lid per sheep. The Plate, before the reported mortality, contained nearly as many sheep as Australia and New Zealand, und if the output of wool this year were equal there would undoubtedly be a great disturbance in values. Looking at the enormous extent of the flocks no practical man would for a moment believe that such an improvement could be brought about in a year or so.

The whole of to-day was occupied by the Native Land Court, in hearing the Poututu case. Atthe Trust Commissioners' Court this morning r certificate was granted to a transfer from Mere Karaka to Mr A. J. Tyson of section 123, Kaiti. Two of the Lincoln stud rams imported by Mr I. Barker last year were recently shorn, the fleece of one weighing '28 A lbs and the other 23Mbs. These weights are without the locks. The Napier Harbor Board recently wrote to the Oamaru Harbor Board asking for the lease of the Oamaru dredging plant for a couple of months. It was decided to offer the Napier Board the use of the dredge for a period of not less than two months, at. the rate of £250 per month, the terms of the contract to be the same as when the dredge was hired to the Timaru Harbor Board. At the stock sale on the third d;iy of the | Canterbury A. and P. Show, we notice the name of Mr P. Dormer, of Ponparae, as the buyer of the following lots : — One four-tooth Lincoln stud ram at 9gs., one at 3'2<js., two hogget rams at 20gs. each, font at 10gs., one at 15gs., and one at 9gs. Mr Dormer arrived by the Wairarapa yesterday. The sheep came by the steamer, and were landed in excellent order. From inquiries made by the Taranaki Herald respecting the flax mills of the district, it learns that between Awahino in the north, and Opunaki in the aoiitli, there are 20 mills at work. Nine of the mills are situated between Stoney and Oaonui rivers, a distance of about twenty miles, and these nine mills employ 258 Europeans and 200 natives. The amount of dressed flax turned out at the nine mills is about fifty tons per week, and the output is expected to materially increase during the summer months. The Canterbury Trotting Association have decided, in consequence of the action of the Government in restricting the_ issue of totaligator licenses, that a deputation, consisting of the president, the secretary, and another member of the association, should proceed to Wellington to lay before the Colonial Secretary the claims of trotting, and the hardships caused to owners, trainers, and breeders of trotting horses if the racing rules be enforced. The Otago Times says :— The New Zealand Shipping Company intend inaugurating a line of ships to the United States direct. This step is taken to meet the demand for tonnage caused by the increasing magnitude of the flax industry. Six ships are appointed to sail during the months of November, December, and January, from Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton and Wellington, Dunedin ami Wellington, and Lyttelton and Auckland. In the course of his remarks at the meeting of the Irish delegates in Wellington, Mr Dillon said that when the delegates started on their present mission, they were told in many quarters that they were going on a fool's errand, but he would take the present opportunity of saying that their efforts had been attended with such a measure of success that they did not even dream of attaining when they commenced their journey in the colonies. To the fund that was subscribed at the meeting, Archbishop Redwood gave £20, Mr Buckley £20, and St. Patrick's College £30. Referring to the anti-Home Rule prayer meeting which was held in another pitrt, of the town, Mr Dillon said that in his career he had met with various kinds of opposition, but this was the first time he had ever been opposed by a prayer meeting. He only hoped that the prayers of those people would come back on them before long to enable them to see the Home Kulc agitation in its true light.

Mr Keefer advertises for sale an acre of ground with cottage near tho freezing works Mr Grunt, Hon. Seo. totheAoolimfttisivtion Society, writes :— Sir, — In answer to enquiries I should be obliged if you would make it known that :< curlew" are included in the native gaino protected. They may be shot during April, May, June and July.

The following additional particulars of a singular accident are taken from a Sydney paper : — A terrible accident occurred at the Co-operative Ice and .Storage Company's works, Harris street, on the afternoon of the 30th October, by which an employee named Henry Bourne lost his life. Doceased, who was chief engineer to the company, was engaged caulking a leaky rivot in ah ammonia drying machine, when the cylinderexploded.tlie man's head being blown through the ronf into the middle of the street, while his body was hurled SO yards away. The ammonia fumes filled the building and thoroughfare for 20 minutes, completely stopping traffic. One young man named (Iritiin passing the works in a butcher's cart was overpowered, and fell insensible in the street, but was dragged out of danger by a companion. An expressman named Ivluthe, in trying to get Bourne's body, was also almost suffocated.