GOLF OR BEEF?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1352, 1 February 1912, Page 8

GOLF OR BEEF?

IS TIIE MEAT OCTOPUS COMING? The business world of Sydney, and particularly that which has to deal with the beof and mutton products of the country, has (says last Wednesday's Sydney "Sun") been agitated by confident rumours that Swift's, the great. Chicago company of meat, canner.-, was coming to Australia with the idta oi' cornering the industry here. Mr. Kidninn was said to bo interested in the venture, and as he is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, of the cattle-owners in Australia, he was approached on several occasions, but gave no more than an inkling of what was in the air. The fact also that, he was said to have paid several visits to Vancouver, where a year or so ago .Swiit's took over an old-established firm and merged it into the colossal beet trust, lout colour to the stories of operations in the Commonwealth. By the last Canadian boat a Mr. C. R. M'Gillivray arrived in Sydney. He is the manager of Swift's Canadian works in Vancouver, and ostensibly is on a world tour with his family. He is also going to play a lot of golf. Whether, incidentally, he is going to see whether Australia.can bo safely exploited by the meat octopus remains to bo seen. ' Ho was visited at his hotel, and was asked the reason for his sojourn in Australia. "Just a trip," he replied; "that and golf. 1 am on a six mouths' vacation, andas I had never been in Australia before, 2 decided to come this way and then on to London and back to Vancouver. You've .got a fine city and a fine harbour." "I came out because Mr. Kidman said what a great country it was," added Mr. M'Gillivray. "Do you intend to go up-country at a 11?" he was asked. "Yes; I'm goinr; to see all I can." "What about business?" Mr. M'Gillivray smiled. "Well," ho answered, "I'm out for golf, and any other pleasure that's going." "Still," said "The Sun" man, "there ought, to be plenty of room and plenty of ( money for Swift's in Australia." "I can't say much about that," was Mr. M'Gillivray's "I have had no deiiuite commission from my. firm to spy oufc the land, but, you know, wo are afweys open to increase our business and its ramifications, and, anyhow, I'm going to have n look all round. I'm going to 2Vew Zealand, too." "Where's 3!r. Kidman?" was the nest ' question. "He's gone to India to have a look at the Durbar;" "Are you going to meet him.:" 'I can't say. He invited me out hero to play golf. Aiid I'm going to play it. Ho plays himself—some." "He sells beef, too," put in f.he reporter. Jlr. M'Gillivray laughed. "Yes, I suppose ho docs. Ho sells us a good deal," he replied. "-iii'l yet you are not here with the 'definite, idea of storting a branch of Swift's, or, alternatively, looking into the possibilities?" "No. I don't think I can say that much. I'm just looking round. I don't know that' Swift's are aping to start here. It's possible, of course. We have only been going about a year in Canada, and not much more in South America, and wo are always ready to extend. That's all I can tell you."