WAIRARAPA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10680, 29 January 1913, Page 2

WAIRARAPA.

[From Our Correspondent.] January 23

lii the Wairarapa, among farmers, almpsfc the sole topic of conversation j is the war between the slaughtermen j and the meat companies. More than | any other port of the province the Wairarapa will feel the effect of a prolonged struggle, and big and small : landholders) 'are' all watching events with muall concern. When the first signs of a crisis their appearance and the men's demands became known, it was rumoured that the Waingawa. works, owned by a farmers' company and the youngest _ doing business in the province, had decided to concede the rise asked for, ! but this has since proved to be incorrect. There are indications, however, that the farmers' company will be the first to give in, for there is a larger number of small men than usual connected therewith, and they are the ones who will bear the br?int of the struggle, and who stand to lose most by holding out. At present the Waingawa works are very busy and will remain so to the end of the present month, when they will close down —if neither side gives in. Even if these works continue to kill, the Wairarapa will suffer severely, for n very large proportion of tho sheep reared on the eastern side of the divide goes through works en route to London. If "Waingawa closes down 5 about one hundred and fifty men will be thrown .out of employment all round. Drovers and buyers are already among the unemployed and quite a number are walking the streets of Masterton and other Wairarapa towns. Already the markets are very keenly feeling the effect of the strike. Everywhere the same lifeless feeling prevails. Bidding is absolutely dead among the few buyers who attend the sales, and prices are beginning to slide down at an ominous rate. Feed is short, rape being especially poor m many parts and the inevitable result will be that tho small man who has been fattening for a speedy market will have to unload at a sacrifice very soon, and that much-abused gentleman known as the squatter will have quite a good time picking up "snips" to hold on his broad acres till the clouds disperse. _ . One ingenious landholder has devised another scheme for meeting such troubles as the one now being discussed. Like the inventor of the brilliant suggestion that the farmers' sons should man the boards and dress sheep for the London markets without any | previous experience, ho is a b;g hindIwldai.. His idea is that. Apri'-'iltural

and Pastoral Associations should institute slaiijiliteviny compel i tions—whether in public or private lie docs not say, but they aro to be liekl at all agricultural shows;-—-and theso aro to be divided into classes for abattoir hands, freezing works slaughtermen, farmers' sons and station hands. U>o .two latter divisions, of course, will receive the largest sliaro of sympathetic attention, as their design would be yho creation of a force of strike-breaking gentlemen " killers," who might be more compotent to man the boards than the average farmer's son of' the present. It is confidently predicted that, tho matter will receive very hearty support from agricultural and pastoral committees. _At least, the competitions should provide good entertainment for the professional killers!"

Added to the prospective stock troubles, Wairarapa farmers have been troubled over tho continued dry spell Since New Year 'practically 110 rain had fallen, and tho shower of yestcrdav, while relieving anxiety somewhat, was hardly sufficient to moisten tho parched , ground. Rape and turnip crops have gone off badly, and there are prospects of a shortage of grass, while water is becoming scarce. Tho prospects for rain are certainly good at present. "With so much trouble and uncertainty over crops tho wonder is that farmers have not experimented more extensively with lucerne. One farmer in tho 'Eketahuna district has demonstrated that it can be very successfully grown. He has been handling ono of the Department of Agriculture's experimental plots, and reports a splendid result. Although the seed was only put in two months ago, thero is now a fine patch of lucerne eighteen inches high, and densely thick. It is a picture with its splendid green contrasted against the ■ all-pervading autumn yellows. The stock take to it readily, and when is as scarce as it is now, and_ promises to be during tho coming 'winter, such a reserve would bo the greatest value to farmers. Tho average man on the land is quite desperately conservative in the matter of feed experiments, and it takes a power of persuading and demonstrating to make him alter the even tenor of his way. The milk supply of the Featherston Dairy Company ha 3 fallen off 100 gallons a day "during the last week owing to the dry weather. A representative of the Canterbury Labourers' Union is visiting the Master ton district endeavouring once more to organise the farm labourers and threshing mill .hands. /It is understood that another effort is to be made to secure an Arbitration Court award for farm labourers. The Midhurst Co-operative Company has in course of erection beside its factory a building in which a plant is'to be installed for the initial Qperation in the manufacture of easein. Curd from tho skim milk will be pressed into t-ho cheese pres3 and (Packed away to the casein factory at Wanganui,'where the casein will be extracted.