The Daily Telegraph FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2993, 28 January 1881, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1881.

If any doubts had been entertained as to the buoyancy of the wool growing industry in Hawke's Bay they must have been completely dissipated by the results of the ram fair at Hastings yesterday. The prices realised surpassed expectations, and even inferior sheep found buyers that twelve months ago would have been consigned to tbe melting pots. The demand was, apparently, as sudden as evidently it was unanticipated, for several lots that otherwise would have been brought to market had previously been disposed of by private contract. The withdrawal of these sheep, consequently, increased the competition for those that were submitted to the hammer, but the vast difference in the prices obtained for those sold privately and those which were put up to auction proved that the demand had not been accurately calculated. The causes of tbe demand are not far to seek. Owing to the serious depression in the wool market in 1879 growers had little encouragement, and less money at command, to launch out into any expenditure that could possibly be avoided, hence at the ram fair last year first-class sheep went begging, or were disposed of at less than value, and poorer descriptions were unsaleable. It was probably owing to tbe scarcity of money as well as of credit that at the fair in 1880 so many sheep were pushed into the market in the hope of finding buyers. The disappointment suffered by breeders on that occasion told on the entries for the fair just ended. The falling off in numbers was most marked, many breeders, as we said above, preferring to sell privately rather than risk again a possible failure to secure purchasers for their surplus rams. This mistake was due to tbe want of consideration of those circumstances which led to the more than satisfactory prices that have been realised. In the first place, the rise in the London wool market in the early part of 1880, in which the Hawke's Bay clip so largely participated, put an entirely different aspect on the prospects of growers. Instead of having to refund any portion of moneys advanced on their clip, almost without an exception they had to receive an additional sum. This state of things was not con6ned to this province, but extended throughout the colony, thereby creating markets for our surplus stock in the comparatively newly-settled country on tbe West Coast, and in the understocked lands lying to the north of Poverty Bay. We are, probably, under the mark when we say that fully 70 000 sheep have been exported from Hawke's Bay during the last ten months, while the exportation of cattle has also greatly revived during the same period. These, then, are the causes of the brisk business done at the late ram fair—first, the rise in wool, leading to the second, the creation of live stock markets outside the province, tbe result being that sheepfarmers are in a position to spend money upon the improvement of their flocks. There is still further satisfaction to be derived from the success of the ram fair in that reasonably be expected to follow from the high prices realised. Apart from the distribution of the best strains to be obtained in the province, which is the immediate effect of the fair, the encouragement given to breeders in other parts of the colony to forward to us annual drafts of their pedigreed sheep cannot but tend to the maintenance of that high standard to which many of the Hawke's Bay longwool flocks have already attained. The excellent prices obtained by Messrs Miller, Potts, and Gillman for the sheep told by them on behalf of importers will undoubtedly encourage further shipments to this market, and effectually dispel the chimera that we are independent of new blood. The yard aad sale arrangements at the ram fair yesterday were as bad as they could be. There was no convenience whatever provided for the proper inspection of the sheep, nor for facilitating the iftlea, Tbe neglect and jjjdiffereng@ of'

the executive of the Agricultural aid Pastoral Society, on who?e grounds tho fair was held, caused many an uncomplimentary remark from both buyers and sellers. A mere child could have designed a better arrangement than three parallel rows of small double pens. Examination of the sheep was almost impossible ; while the auctioneers had for the noqce to act the part of tight-rope dancers on the top rail ot the pens. Considering that the Society made between „G0 and £70 out of the fair, its executive, it mis>ht have been thought, would have done something for the money. The fact is, however, the Society has so long submitted to slovenly administration, that it has at length grown to think no improvement possible. What is wanted is an energetic and responsible officer, whose duties should be those of manager to the Society under the working committee. Under the present higgledy-piggledy system it is always a matter of astonishment how agricultural shows and ram fairs get blundered through at all. If another 500 sheep had bad to be sold yesterday it would have been found impossible to have got through the work.