SHEEP AND GRAIN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 620, 24 September 1909, Page 8

SHEEP AND GRAIN.

SPEECH BY ME WIITT, MP EECOED GEAIN HARVEST EXPECTED (fly loleuraph-Siioelil Correicondeot I

: .' 'v-':'.■.:,'. .Christchurchi..Soptember, 23.',,'; 'Speaking at a; social of the OxV ■ford ; .brifnch of'\the TJnion, Mr; George.Witty,- MJ., said:that.sheep.were now responsible for''.tiro-thirds'-'pf exports,, and they were going' tovbeVby .far the. largest; factor'in -New Zealand- trade':'. In the' last 15 .years;- the;; sheep in the'worjd. had. diminished by .JO millions,, despite';.the. fact ,that they had increasfd •by ,26., 'millions ,;.in Australia in; .that; period.-, Tiiere ;'wefe;77 mil-" lionsCmorb people now. using :woollen/'goods. That meant.a big asset to New' Zealand. The fine merino 'sheep '.veri'. dying out' and - befbre long' .they;;.would',have no, halfbreds. ',; Can T 'terbury , had^to i 'iinpbrt|shcep.'and lamb's owing •to' , •the.Jinme'n'ee .quantities Of.'jambs.'.exported.; They , ;, should see , that they -.gyt" only vsuitabhi sheop 'and lambs from other,, placesr-tho'se that,,woreilikely to,do them .credit at: Horn e.. f-.They.^CTo(exportiriE,ilambs ; aU ■the. : year' i rb'rißd which v he! thoughts -.. was. a';•'; mistake. : They •shbujdi' '.stop'•■.:e^porting.''-'- , them Vγ at" the beginning;;/ of :"April."l . .They "..'!sht)uld- .have' 'ia.'yTorigniscdv;;;se'nspn.;• i^for ■'•''viambsyvrr andj ;'if;■'* : they!.; : rf wquld> get.';bettop.pri66S, atV.thisVeiid. :;:,Tiiey-should-iibt tr/ito pass off-tegs.^and'ewe'. stteep , as .lambs.'.' Tlien ; again, : there 'W.ero; -too many' agents at ; llome;who cared nothing:about New Zealand .interests,:so as the^ 'got , tlteir commissions,.-. There should; be- fewer..agents so-that they could-'concentrate^the'trade, and:' regulate.the market.:' They were' going to.have' the,biggest grain harvest, was'. 'ever; known/ and .probably;a , record'export/;/.lt should ■ bo -the.':endeavour. df ■ .thi: Farmer's'/ i, Union', to; operate in ;liarmony,' with tho workers .was."