THE SHEEPFARMER'S OUTLOOK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 8

THE SHEEPFARMER'S OUTLOOK.

.;'Som'o.'aiithpnties'.liavo; lately been re;, ■'portedas of opinion' that growers of mut- .; ton 'must, bo prepared to accept lower ..prices .for , thoir.. producti in the '■'■'• future than have ruled m past years. In this : connection'"it is • interesting'to turn to- : the-figures.'published' ih: "Dalgety's ; Review.; "' Thcsa'show: that"-in-.-tho. period :snco 1895 the, meat-consuming, population- of the world', has : increased,' by BO,ooOiCoo.persons,".while,- 6n>"-;tho ■', other' hurid.there are now 40,000,000- fewer sheep, in the'.world than there'were-/in- • 1895. .'■Theee'..fijmies, so. far as.they. have prac'-' ,' ideal-lvalue,.- certainly-'-make':'-for . optim-ism.---I'-! -::;'-,:'--■*;;-."; >"."-=:;-': , ;----""'- : ' '■ ;.-'. The effect of depression : . of;190S; oiilthelnieat, consumption of. the United- Kingdom -is strikingly- 6howri by , the: figures'/ compiled by the Department of Industries and .Commerce; '.From these it .appears":that ..whereas ;in 1001. the .con-sumption--of meat, per headof population was 1241b., in 1908.it was:only 1171b. :Thiß;drop.ot,7Jb. n heid.for.tho year for ;44,000;000 people gives a total-decrease in :'consumption;o'f;-'qver,3oo,ooo,ooolb. v _-. Tho_ operations "of "the American"' pack--ihg .companies ~in:tho. -Argentine have r;been»jpatclicd 'with/some concern on this, side \6f .'the'..'worldi but 'a. gontlanien largely '.interested. : in -the...frozen- meat trade, * in -• speaking ;to -. a- -Dominion ; reprc-; seritative' said-he thought the real..'objeot,rof;-;.tne..;big.;Chicago, houses, was.' to' find' fresh ■" sources of for ;tho'TAmerican':'trade.'; exports- of :meat-.were - steadily; shrinking, and: ho- before -, long North America ■ would:'be: a: '.meat importing '-country.-' .-The -racking- .firms wero probably: only taking..time,; by the forelock, 'andiendeavouring. to. corner ■. the post' importnht' outside.' soured, of supply; ■.for. ; ..ArMrica's;.future';, millions./ In any case, whatever»they';'didin .the -Argentine it would*be.,tp; .theii:; interest :tb'. work with us in.;keeping up prices on the .English >-'*' '■■■•'■■■ '■ ' -■■'"■' '. }.Aiked ; whether, "he!-; had-heard of.,.any. -rnqve.at'.alli'of.Vtlio American, firms, in Australasia,';" the.' : samo, gentleman.' ;said ■ that.two .or ..three'years, ago'-Swifts "had Kadi through''. New - ZeaHo 'kept;-as,closely-in .'touch with this; gentleman . asV ■possible,- and from ,wbat;.hbVgather.ed;;he .believed .the Amen-, •cans' ;w"er"e,\of -.opinion ."that.'this country; was' too there. : 'were "too many seaports,-, .and;.- iconsegueritly;;; too' many, ■small interests would, have-to-be to, make',:the* ; field : ,wbrth operating from their';point'.of.'view. 'This ; was only sur-. mise,' r 'as Messrs. : Swifts' representative was naturally, a. inan -capable, of keeping his -own-counsel^'...'...'-.'■.;■: ■•;■'• ~.-;-....;-,