"BR'ER RABBIT."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1385, 11 March 1912, Page 8

"BR'ER RABBIT."

MAKING MONEY OUT OF HIM. Mr. I". J. ..Sullivan, nn Otago exporter who luis just returned to New Zealand alter a tour of the United Kingdom and the Continent, speaking .to a representative of the "Southland Times" in reference to'the frozen rabbit industry of which he is one of the nifineers, said when he left New Zealand last year mutters cnultl hardly have been worse than they then were, and more than DO.iUX) crates had to bo carried over. Since then the outlook had improved somewhat; but it was yet very uncertain, and ho S'.iid that New Zealand would have to play second fiddle to Australia, particularly "New South Wales, from where rabbits are exported in very large quantities, and where better attention is given to (lie mode of killing the rabbits and systematic grading is carried out. in New Zealand better prices arc obtained for skins than in Australia, and this causes the rabbi tors here to assume a more independent attitude, and, in consequence, the "get up" of the NewSouth Wales article is much superior to that of New Zealand. Apart from that, in New South Wales no rabbits that do not fulfil tho exacting conditions required of them are allowed to bo exported. New Zealand rabbiters have been warned again and again regarding this; but it'seems to Have little effect. Until wo conform to similar conditions to those which obtain in the Commonwealth, said Mr. Sullivan, our rabbits will, command a market only after the Australian supply has been exhausted. If rabbits aro not bled the blood remains in the body, and, when gutted, the interior remains covered with blood which collects in tho brisket, and thus attracts flies. It also causes the rabbits to become sweated and stale, so that it is impossible for them to arrive at the works in'good order. In England, Mr. Sullivan said, that New South Wales rabbits were invariably white fleshed, while New Zealand rabbits, owing to wrong treatment, were red fleshed, so that it was easy to see which was the most attractive article. Mr. Sullivan stated that he considered the industry was a most important one to New Zealand, but in his opinion it had not been looked after in the manner it deserved. In consequence a good deal of money had been lost by English buyers, who were now chary of having anything to do with rabbits from the' Dominion. Mr. Sullivan concluded by expressing a hope that an improvement would be noticeable this year, otherwise he would give a very small chance to the industry continuing.