QUEENSLAND MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 8

QUEENSLAND MEAT.

A NEW ZEALANDER'S IMPRESSIONS. INTERVIEW WITH MR. J. W.' . HARDING, ■' Somo interesting views 011 t'ho meat trado in Queensland were given to a representative of The Dominion' yesterday by Mr. J. W. Harding, of Hawcra. Mr. Harding, who has been operating extensively at tho Wanganui, Waitara, Patea, and Auckland Freezing Works, and is a largo oxporter of beef, says he found that boot' was getting short in' New Zealand in conse<iuenco of so much land being used for dairying and he went over to Queensland to try and fill his orders there. Great diliiculties, he says, were met in getting his stock treated as there are very few works in Queensland and these are privately owned. Mr. Harding has arranged with one small works, beI hveen Brisbane and Toowoombay that is going to treat with him. The New Zea- 1 lander was very much surprised to seo beef so cheap in Queensland, the price being from ss. to Gs. per 1001b. lower than in New Zealand. At the samo time, ho says, tho cattle seemed to be better. Tho reason giyon for the prices ruling is that tho works fix a price aud the grazior has to take it as ho can get nothing outside of the works. If he sends his stock into the local market, which absorbs 700 head of cattle and GOOO sheep per week, he gluts the. market, the works refraining from competing in tho yards as they aro afraid of putting tho price up outside. At the present time, says Mr. Harding, tho. .Government are talking of erecting freezing works to give open facilities to anyone and, ho added, "I believo tho graziers are guaranteeing the interest." This will mean thousands and thousands of pounds to Queensland, .as the minute tho outsido buyer goes in to the market pricqs' will go up. Mr. Harding says that he went from New Zealand with an order for 20,000 oarensses of mutton. Ho could have got tho sheep all light, but ho could not get them treated. The works there, ho states, are very bitter against anyono elso coming in. - "I was very much surprised," Mr. Harding added, "to see how cheap tho land is in Queensland. Some of the rent's there are only from iid- lo -id. per acre, and it takes 7 to 10 acres to fatten a bullock. It would cost ss. per year for 10 acres there, which would bo equal to one aero that would cost 50s. in New Zealand.. Therefore, says Ml'.-.Harding, it costs you ss. in Queensland to run a bc-ast, that .would cost £2 10s. in. New Zealand. Tho Queensland Government spam as though the.v do not want to put lip tho urico of land, but rather to set'llo tho laud as quickly as possible, and make it productive. Mr. Harding says ho has been over a gicat part of tho Argouh'no but ho saw better land in Queensland, and as good cattle, as ho ever saw in the Argentine. At the-same time, he adds, New, Zealand can get more for her cattle because all tho freezing works give open facilities to anyono for treating, stock and competition comes in the market. "A trust such as thero is in Queensland would not b;i tolerated hero fpr a minute, says the New Zsalandcr." Tho mutton and lamb in Queensland is not as good as the New Zealand product and practically only ono class, of .beef is. exported from, that State, viz., bullocks. Given tho facilities, ono could ..export, thousands of calves and cows..;to:.an unlimited number. . Whero a man could only buy a line of 50 to 10} i|L.Jfow Zealand lie could get quoted in lines of 2000 in Queensland. One difficulty that, had to bo faced was the prevalence of; the nodtilo in cattle;* which meant that ail briskets, had to bo cut off Rome 7Glb. of meat iu every beast thus having to bo boiled down for tallow. A I 'at present..being sought for tho disease by Mr. Cfilriith of the veterinary branch. The cattle most favoured in tho State are %liorthorns and Ilercfords. I think, said Mr. Harding, that meat is going to rise at Home from now on as the «xnort. from tho Argentine, Australia and New Zealand has finished until January. In tho opinion of Mr. Harding Queensland or New South Wales will never beat Now Zealand in butter owing to the very dry seasons experienced thero. A great deal of attention is, howevor, being devoted to the butter industry and in Queensland .£45,000 is being spent on cool stores. ■ Speaking generally of 'tho prospects of Queensland and New South' Wales Mr. Harding considers them ox-cellr-ni. ■ .Mr. Harding is leaving for.Hawcra this morning and it is his intention to return to Queensland again in November.