The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER |7, 1902.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12117, 7 November 1902, Page 4

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER |7, 1902.

THE DROUGHT IN AUSTRALIA. i In an interview with a representative of the Christchurch Press, Captain Pearse, a well-known Australian pastoralist who pays periodical visits to this colony, expressed his opinions on many questions affecting our pastoral, agricultural, and commercial interests, and, coming from one whose authority is so widely acknowledged, the remarks are worthy of the widest publicity. Saying first of all how refreshing he found it to come fr6m droughtstricken Australia to a country where green fields meet the eye on every side and everybody seems happy and contented, Captain Pearse went oh to say that the recent cable announcing the total break-up of the drought in Australia was incorrect, for at that time not a drop of rain had fallen in the drought districts. Good rains had been experienced on the highlands and the coast, but " there has been .absolutely no relief in the drought-stricken country." Consequently Australia will want a lot of meat for the next twelve months, and it is estimated that it will also require from 100,000 to 200,000 tons of breadstuffs. At present supplies are being obtained from Argentina, Canada, New Zealand, and other parts, and when he left Sydney negotiations were being made for a shipment of 14,000 quarters of beef from Argentina. One authority estimated that a million and a half of sheep, or their equivalent in other meat, would have to be imported during the next twelve months to meet their local requirements. Then Captain Pearse went on to utter a word of warning to New Zealand, saying that the great fear is that New Zealand will ruin its London trade in supplying the ! Commonwealth. At the; present | time, be said, there is less New Zealand meat afloat for London than for some time past. Owing to the backwardness of the season not much • more will be shipped before the end of the pressent year, whilst dining the first three months of next year shipments will be rushed forward in large quantities. The result will be that men who have- been in the habit of taking New Zealand meat will for a timeibe obliged to take Argentine, and when the New Zealand article is plentiful again it will be difficult to get them back, ior it is always more difficult to get a client back than it is to gain him originally. This bears out what we have on two or three occasions urged with reference to the South African trade, that the colony is likely to lose more in London than it will gain in South Africa by diverting any considerable portion of our frozen meat and dairy produce to the Hatter, country. We have held that every good business man will serve his old customets before new ones ; that in England we have a permanent market for. all the meat and butter we can send to it, of the best quality of course, while South Africa is likely to be self-sup-porting in a very few years, and when that time comes we should have to go back to London. Captain Pearse's remarks entirely bear us out. Australia is somowhat differently situated. The people there are now more in a position of neighbours in distress, and it would be unneighbourly if we did not let the.m have all they want. -Yet, if what is stated is correct, that they will want a million and a half of sheep in the next twelve months, Captp.in Pearse's fear is quite Justified, for if we supply half that quantity "there will be a very serious and injurious shortage of our mutton on the T^ondon market. We must, however, hope that speedy relief will come to Australian pastoralists. Captain Pearse does not think the hopes with regard to the South African

trade are likely to be realised, for three or- •£$**#:-. vessels are every week j lea^ln^Bije^iQV Ayres for South Africa, ladeA-%lth7-p'roduce and foodstuffs. lucidfcff£ly-iK©--nad something to say about dairying. He has visited the Taraoaoi and Wellington dairying districts and the conclusion he has arrived at after having spoken to fifty people, including farmers, merchants, and others, is that "on a strictly commercial basis the industry is not j a profitable one. Were it not for child labour and the labour of the farmer himself and his wife, with dairying land at its present price, dairying could not be made to. pay, nor can the industry be profitably followed where land costs more than £10 per acre." In this matter we fear he has permitted a pastoralist's prejudice to blind him to some extent. We have known more than one pastoralist in Taranaki who in years gone by almost despised the milch cow, but who, when wool went down, was glad to take to dairying ! and retrieve his position and put his bank account rights There is more solid prosperity to the acre in Taranaki than in any pastoral tfr agricultural district in Australasia, and it is entirely due to the dairying in. dustry. True, there may be, doubtless are, some who have paid or are trying to pay too high a price for their land ; true also that the dairy farmer must take his own coat ofi if he is to succeed. It may also be | granted that dairying depends to [some extent upon child labour ; but the fact remains that there are many large dairies,, employing no children, working high-priced lands, and paying as good wages as the.agricultural and pastoral industries, which are yet giving a highly satisfactory return. In concluding his interesting talk, Captain Pearse said he was | much impressed with the possibilities of the Farmers' Union, and considered that future legislation for the 'good of the country would xeally bear the imprint of the Union, and anything done by the Union for the good of its members would necessarily be for the good of the whole community.