THE STRATHLEVEN EXPERIMENT.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 97, 24 February 1880, Page 3

THE STRATHLEVEN EXPERIMENT.

It is hardly possible to over-estimate the importance to the Australian colonies of the news conveyed in the cable messeges of the last few days, respecting the complete success of the attempt to carry fresh meat from Australia to London. By a telegram receivedtheotherdayitappears that someof the mutton has been sold at about 6d, and the beef 5d per lb. As the total cost of conveyance to England is said to be only Hd per lb, it will be seen that this leaves a "good profit to the Australian run-holder ; and, as we are told, the London salesman could take 10,000 sheep weekly, the squatters need have no difficulty in future in getting rid of their stock. Probably the first effect of this innovation will be to materially increase the value of station property in Australia. The gain of the squatter, however, will be the loss of the struggling farmer at Home, who, having Australian competition added to that which he has long had to contend with from his American rivals, will find it more difficult than ever to make the rearing of cattle and sheep profitable. Either he will have to turn his attention to something else—-and there is l’ttle left except the breeding of horses and pedigree stock—or he will have to emigrate. In fact, we have no dcubt that the Strathleven experiment will have the effect of forcing many who were hesitating as to whether they would seek their fortunes in New Zealand into making up their minds at once to take such at step. No doubt it will also have a material influence with the Lincolnshire delegates, now in this country, in deciding, as to the advice they shall give their neighbors at Home. There being at present no direct steam communication between New Zealand and England, itis doubtful whether this colony will be able to make immediate and practical use of the discovery in the same way as the sister colonies in Australia will be able to do. Still, as a contemporary points out, the success of the Strathleven undertaking may have the eflect of stimulating the effort to establish a directjline of steamers between this colony and the Home Country, or it may even be found that the process will answer in the case of a sailing ship, and that the meat may be preserved sufficiently longto ensure its safe delivery in England even after a voyage of SO or 90 days. In these days of annihilating distance, we can hardly feel surprised at any fresh discoveries which may lie made in this direction. AA r e certainly agree with our contemporary that the experiment of seeing whether the appartaus would answer ill the case of a sailing ship should be tried without delay, inasmuch as the result would be of the most vital importance to this colony.— Post.

A telegram from Christchurch dated Friday last says:—The effort of the local press in taking up the subject of the exjiort of fresh meat have borne some fruits. A deputation of stock growers to-day waited upon Alessrs Robert Wilkin and Go., to ascertain if it were possible to take immediate steps to got a vessel to New zjealand to load with meat under the Bell-Coleman process for England. The deputation were of opinion that if such could be done stock growers generally would be willing to subscribe towards the cost, with a view to testing how New Zealand meat would do in the London market, and how fa.r it would relieve the local stock market in the present state of low prices. One of the directors of the Shipping Company, who was present, stated that the subject had been discussed by the directors of the company, and they had already taken steps to ascertain the cost of the process, and how far sailing vessels were suitable for the conveyance of meat, and what advantage producers in New Zealand would gain by it. Messrs AVilkin & Co. promised to take immediate steps to ascertain whether there was any chance of procuring a steamer ; but they were of opinion there would be no chance of getting a vessel to come to New Zealand till a company was floated, and the whole process more fully developed. The deputation comprised men who are Large producers of fat stock.