The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, JANUARY 16, 1903. PASTORAL INDUSTRIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 801, 16 January 1903, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, JANUARY 16, 1903. PASTORAL INDUSTRIES.

" Soni.; 'cheering commercial camegrams came to hand yesterday. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company anticipates a graduating rise in the different classes of wool up to ten to lifteen per cent, for greasy coarse crossbred. “ All your wools have arrived in time,” Messrs Dalgety and Co. cable. In addition,

we learn from the latter that the price of tallow is on the rise, At this stage of things, we may again turn to the discussion as to.the rivalry of Argentina. A very interesting article on the subject appears in the Auckland Herald, from which we quote.

Following upon the report of the New Zealand Produce Commissioner in London comes the regular cable

message from our Agent-General Both deal mainly with the commercial transactions of our industrial ri-

vals, of whom the Argentine Republic is the most pressing and the most dangerous. As a matter of fact, .she is treading upon our heels. Her heavy importations into our Home market can hardly fail to have a depressing influence upon prices unless energetic steps are taken to come into more direct contact with the British consumer and to open up other outlets for our surplus mutton and lamb. This; is no new cry.. It is an obvious conclusion which we have repeatedly urged upon the attention of our readers.'-But its importance to our national well-being is so great that we make no apology for again pointing the moral to be drawn from this latest and reliable information. Let our butter fall twopence or threepence in the pound, let our meat fall ;l penny, on the British market, and our colonial cities and townsiaips wocjlcl feel, with our agricultural population, how deeply good seasons and high prices concern us all. For wealth cannot he produced by Act of Parliament nor favorable exchange by any legislative measures. Primarily, national prosperity depends still, as it always has depended, upon the existence of profitable conditions in the great industries upon which a people economically relies. This is the merest ABU of political economy, but if the public appreciated . it thoroughly wc .Should hare a much keener interest displayed in our serious commercial and inddstrial questions. We should

forego altogether our perpetual .squabbling over the fantastical propositions which waste the time of Parliament and exhaust tho energies of Government, and should concen-

trate all our efforts upon making our great national industries as secure as is possible in a changing ai;*.l batt-

ling world. We have always had the Plate country as a strong competitor for the British meat trade. I-ler presence in our markets is an old story. The point to be noted is the persistent manner in which she creeps up towards the leading importer place. Ten years ago she only sent to Britain 1,111,000 carcases in the twelve months. Last month alone she sent 236,000 carcases, according to Mr Reeves’ report. Moreover, she is affecting the butter market. Ten years ago she was hardly known in the butter trade. Last month alone she sent to the United Kingdom; 10,700 hundredweight, of which the exceedingly fair quality is shown by the price obtained—lo3s to 106 s per cwt. As far as meat is concerned.if our Produce Commissioner is not grossly mistaken, only the falling off at the end of last whiter prevented in New Zealand shipments of mutton a noticeable uecLne ; n British prices as a result of the heavy importations of August and September last. Undoubtedly, our shipments were heavy in the months named, but they alone would have had no such de-

pressing influence, It was when Argentina' heaped her bH ><oo carcases upon the top of our 595.000 carcase* that the market would have bent had iiot the cool stores' come to the rescue and oiu subsequent shipments been light. And we cannot always hold back our mutton, we cannot always expect to have clamorous Australian customers offering us our own price for our fa,t sheep and prime

careases. This is a certainty which we must fate, as we must face the possibility oi similar heavy importations ultimately bearing down butter prices unless we secure the gilt-edged market. For Argentina’s capacity for out pul is as yet illimitable. She has room to raise twenty sheep to our one, twenty cows to our one—if

she is sufficiently' intelligent to stamp out anarchy and support a strong Government. Over and above all this

British and Anglo-colonial owners, managers, and overseers inerea' .ugly control that modern Argent 6 .•sheepbreeding which is rising . suve the old careless Castilian methods. It would be more than absurd for us to attempt to belittle Argentine rivalry. It would be fatal. 'Pile politic course for this colony to pursue is clear. It is to secure, by vigorous action, the highest prices procurable in the London and provin-

cial markets of the United Kingdom and to push for profitable outlet for our produce in other directions. We expoi t enough mutton and butter to be able to sustain a recognised New Zealand trade in a number of the great centres oi population. There is no good reason why Argentine producers should tie able to sell their goods as ours or why Old Country hutehers should be able to sell our mutton as “ Home-grown,” which is notoriously done. The Argentine can and will exceed us in quantities, but is there any excuse for us if it excels us in'qualities ? Danish butter largely owes its premier place to the

.plendio organisation of tlie Danish butter trade. We can, at least, imitate this method. We ought to do tetter. There should he attractive shops in every large English town for the sale of New Zealand produce, best quality only, to the consumer, so that our trade may at least be tested by the support accorded to it

by the British public. For us to forego in any way the advantage of our colonial advertising or of our colonial reputation is to give points to a rival who will not scruple to make use of them. However the details of such an industrial campaign may be arranged the purpose should be to give every large aggregation of buyers full opportunity to buy New Zealand produce as such. As our Australian fellow colonists contend, Imperial orders,should go to lhe Imperial countries which so largely sustain British trade, not' to countries like the Argentine, which are comparatively poor customers of British manufacturers. And particularly we should persistently endeavor to secure entrance to the American mar-

ket, surely a not impossible expectation when we remember that although only fiUti.i) miles distant the Americans could spare no more than a few paltry thousands of carcases for the United Kingdom, while iar off New Zealand was sending half a million.