CENTRAL STOCK MARKET NEEDED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1788, 28 June 1913, Page 14

CENTRAL STOCK MARKET NEEDED.

WEST COAST VIEW. A Greatford farmer makes a suggestion for the establishment of a central stock }far' 1 tmifc jit Addington in ths South Island. His replies are as follow I.—l think the average school is not doing 83 much as it might in the way of training boys for the farm, though, there ore opportunities available here in the Techaical School, the Experiment Farm at Marton, and the camp that has been held at Mr. E. Shores for the last two or- three years, for a pushing boy to learn a great deal. 2. I think farmers here get a. fair gross return for their products, with - the- big exception of fat sheep and lanibs. A market on this coast on . the lines of Addington would' give the fattener a better return for his best qualitr fats.. At present, generally speaking, high' grade and low grade sheep are drafted together on tlio farm and a single price given. "Freezing on .owner's account" is, of course, available, but the small owner docs not generally care to do that, nor does the freezing "on owner's account" of small parcels seem to bo encouraged by the companies. 3—Yes, this neighbourhood is well served by roads anc}. railway. 4—Telephones are too expensive—not much to complain about otherwise. s.—Yes, though I think that the executives of some shows have no aim beyond the one, two, or three days on which "the show" actually occurs. Larger membership or a Government subsidy would enable associations to extend their operations with advantage. The Government do, of course, subsidise certain big shows to some extent by Departmental displays' and entries. C—The work of the Department of Agriculture has most decidedly been of direct benefit. • 7.—Farmere here are not organised at all in the ■way you mention. B.—Nearly til© whole of this neighbourhood is farmed by owners. !).—No. Farm labour is scarce, and, a great deal of it, very inefficient. Several men here are reducing their ogricultunl and increasing their pastoral operations owing to labour difficulties. If you includo domestic assistance in this question, I would say that the supply of this class of farm labour is in an exceedingly unsatisfactory condition. 10.—To the best of my knowledge, very much so. 11.—A very big and rather vague question to answer—so much depends on what you moan by "betterment." On the whole I would say co-operation.