OUR WAIKATO LETTER

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 186, 30 August 1909, Page 5

OUR WAIKATO LETTER

The Provincial Grsxiers Association jusC formed at Cambridge is, undrr Jive management, going to do a great deal to equalise prices of beef for the grazing of the province generally. Prices from their point of view, have fallen to an onrerminerative level. For over six months past it woold have paid them better to export their beef, and the new Association intends to carefully watch the export and inland markets, so that stock should bbought when it touches export prices. With the American beef trtfst and its enormous capital. influencing the world's markets, it seems the only logical thing to do to organise in selfdefence. Botchers will not suffer. It is the consumer in the long run who will have to jr»y the advance. The Association is receiving strong support and deserves the encouragement of all grazers in the Auckland province. I attended the meeting of the New Zealand Dairy Association in Auckland last Tuesday. There was a larger attendance of shareholders than usual, but nothing transpired of more than ordinary interest. The dividend of d per cent, was approved; and the fact that the debentures are now written down to £4OOO duly noted. Mr Wesley Spragg read his carefully prepared speecth. dealing in advance with such controversial points as the question of Home separation, moisture in the butter, little men's representation, delegates to annual meetings, finance and the signing of cheques. A very strong movement had developed in Waikato for the representation of the county by genthroen favouring different methods of management to those at present obtaining, but the retiring directors. Messrs Kwing and BlarfceCt received more than double the vote* of Messrs Chalmers and Ranstead and the support of more than doubt* the number of persons voting. Messrs Peterson and Saulbrey also stoctd. but received little support. Mere than twice as many members v>r» I this year than last year. Mr J. | C». Prrtctikrl. the lone representative j of the "Opposition" party, resigned bis seat on the Board on Tuesday. Mr j Spragg describes the oullonpfc for the j coming season as "gmd". Prices op j to December will be satisfactory, and j subject to good weather conditions, j right throughout ths season. j I see that very high prices have , been paid for breeding ewes in the | Manuwatu. up to lss having been j given and number* bought at this ptrce : for Waikato by farmers here. With- | out being a breeder myself, but as one j who follows the wool, market with j sympathetic interest. *1 fear those , farmers I have referred to will find j they have " bitten off more than they j can chew."to Use an expressive Ameri- | carvism. Farmers should remember j that all wool on a sheep's back does j not fetch top prices and an average of i •■{* or 5$ a head all round fe.r ewrs will I be fennd an excellent wool yield. As j a local man put it to me the other day: j "I would rather have sheep at .% and wool at a fair average pries, than high prices for sheep and fluctuations in prices for wool." And with the de moralised mutton market at Home it looks as lh«»»gh this will have to be ultimately faced. j While in Auckland the other day I j was a visitor by invitation to the well j known Orphan's Club, a social, nor.- J political institution, which meets fortnightly on Saturday evenings during the season It possesses an extremely fine orchestra, which played a number of classical and popular items, and memlwrs and friends gave songs and recitations of n high level of excel- ! lence. The rlub is most hospitable j and the supper was satisfying, if a j trifle rushed. Messrs Allen and j Fisher. M's.P. were visitors and gave i «hort. nonpotitical speeches. Altoget- j her a most enjoyable evening was t spent. I 1 saw Mr J. K. Taylor, of Mangere. at his pleasant home last Sunday, tie is most enthusiastic about his canal scheme and believes something wilt be done as soon as the Auckland Harbour Board gets control of the Manukau, as it must do to enable a comprehensive scheme to lie formulated and acted upon. Mr Taylor believes a high tide canal could be cut for £20,000. between Auckland and Onehunga by his route, and the tides would scour out the cecal bed to any width desirable before the locks were put at each end. Then the cutting of the Waikato Manukau canal would not be long delayed, and a through waterway would thus be provided right to the Auckland wharf. i

I see that the Te Aroha residents «*re about to bold an open air carnival for a week in the coming summer. Such an entertainment should draw large numbers of visitors. I sometimes wonder whether an historic pageant, picturing the leading scenes in New Zealand's history, would not prove popular in any district organising it. I remember seeing the Shertorne pageant four years ago in Dorsetshire, where over 600 townspeople were engaged in enacting the feeding events in that historic town's history of 1200 years. These picturesque revivals of past history are wonderfully interesting and attractive. This very month hundreds of thousands of Americans are flocking to the Gloucester —mass pageant. I give the idea here for what it is worth. It calls for the highest skill of orchestra, actors scenery artists, dancers and skilled in designing appropriate costumes.

The death of Mr William Rout, of Cambridge West, removes a valuer! friend and a man of many activitif.-« of remarkable capacity and character. He had reached the great age of sl, but his mental faculties were qui to undimmed when the writer saw him only a few months ago. A Thcosophist, a Socialist, an astrologer and with a strong belief in the value of phrenology, his mental range covered a wide and interesting field, as thos--who came in contact with him can bear witness. A large number of fri<tuh followed bis remains to the grave at Pukerimu cemetery.

The last High Commissioners cat)itgives mutton—Canterbury—2d to :u\ and North Island 2d to 2Jd. Lamb i.« depressed and fetches 2jd to ",'*■'). Butter is firm, with a good demand, wool is Arm with an upward Undenry, and hemp shows a firmer ton. , though little if doing in the New 2«aland article.