THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1929. SUBDIVIDING SHEEP LANDS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5390, 20 February 1929, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1929. SUBDIVIDING SHEEP LANDS.

The Minister of Lands in a speech at Dannevirke advocated the subdivision of large sheep runs, and' putting dairy farms on them. With so mucji land still available, and with sc> many large dairy far,ms that could very well be subdivide}! to the benefit of both the old & n 'd the new owners, it would appear rather doubtful if this policy is wise or necessary. The-Min u ister, of course, knows very well what he is talking about, and. would not .make such a proposal unless he had sound and valid reasons for doing so ; but at the sa,me time more explicit details are to be expected, and would be welcomed. New. Zealand has held! the reeog,nise|di major share of the British mutton and lamb market for a number of years now, a position which, unless great, attention be given it, she may quite easily lose. We rnust remember the, Argentine. A comparison of figures for 1927 and 1928 makes • uncomfortable reading, and makes bne feel not a little apprehensive. Britain in 1927 imported from New Zealand 65,660 tons of lamb and; mutton; in 1928, 66,430, an increase of 770 tons. From Argentine she imported 21,155 tons in 1927, and 26,357 in 1928, a.n increase of 5202 tons. These figures surely give food for thought. Although the; Republic’s increase is not so very great at the moment, it shows which way the wind is blowing, and it is to the future we have to look. Argentine mutton and lamb is, improving ybftr by year, thanks to New Zealand sheep imported into that country to improve its stock. That this should ever have bepn permitted is regrettable in every' way, a.nd makes one wonder what the authorities yvere thinking of in allowing it. The Argentine Government is making every effort to bring that country’s mutton and lamb up to New Zealand quality by this improvement of stock, and is making, a effort to capture the London market. That Argentine has a decided advantage is apparent when distance and area a.ve taken into consideration. Sheep killed in Tierra Del Fue;go are sold in Lond'on shops a month afteryvards. Tierra Del Fuego, far, from being the desolate region most people imagine it to be, is a land of vas.t grass acreages that need no breaking in in the first place, cr artificial methods to keep fertile after.wards. This also is true of Argentine and Chilean Patagonia. Not the whole expanse of of course, but vast stretches, supporting runs of a size undrea,mpt. of in New Zealand. The competition' of Argentine, Uruguay, an.d Chile, not to mention Southern Brazil, with New Zealand for the London mar.ket will soon become deadly serious. With the above in view, would it not ire advisable for New Zealand to consolidate sheep lands rather* than cut them up ? We a,re constantly being tolfl that there is plenty of undeveloped land only awaiting attention to be suitable for cattle. To suggest that this should be brought in for cattle, which do not need the areas necessary for the profitable rearing of sheep, Is surely' not out of the way: and, besides, sheep can live where cattle ea,nnot. Would it not be better to concentrate upon opening up new territory and subdividing existing farm land's for the small holder, and in that, way gtft more men on the land, rather than lose the hold on the London market for mutton and lamb

that New Zealand at present retains ?