AUSTRALASIAN CAPABILITIES

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 67, 22 April 1881, Page 4

AUSTRALASIAN CAPABILITIES

-thVe^ttpr of the VUWftn'lKerlihr/in' 3 x W#k 'on this aufije'frt;'' jjive* T sditta ve f rjr L important sibistics regarding capabilities of Auatrstt^i^fdftlie Ruction of sto6k. He shows that in the United Kingdom andj^aotoe f^r>te:pf ; Ge?man\, in the NebbiwJj»tt.dB < „ftp(( i ttejgiun?, there is anfkvewg6}of^wa head of, cattle to ev*«yt%Qvft ©£laad, whilst in .Australia there is only one head to;eyejy*27,QoJQ acres, the total number, -of j oattle in these colonies being only 7«5O&O0O, including Tasmania and New Zealand. But he (Mr Frajiyyn), also shows that in beef there hss. been -a- very pronounced increase in some of .these colonieg-during the, six- years between 1872 and 1878. In Victoria the increajje,! has-been 301,080,. the- total number being 1,184,843; in New South Wales, increase 61,209* total 2,771*583;; in Queensland,; increase. l,Q^74 f7 tptal 2i438,567. At present the Americans export the equivar lent yf oattle in, fresh . muac and , live bullocks, valued at about £2,500,000. .This result ha? been attained iq five, years, and MrEranklyn cites the fact to show that w« will in these colonies have to look to onr laurels. He says that in Western Australian tract of country has recently been discovered :of 20,000,000 acres inarea,well watered and grassed, with a navigable river tunning through it tor a distance of more than 200 miles*, fife also shows that the land in Queensland and the capacity of that colony for raising stock are almost unlimited, and: says:: — /'Let a steady demand be once established, and the production of meat for export will be engaged in on afar larger scale than at present, and run holders will continue to .improve their cattle, well knowing that, inasmuch as the cost of refrigerating and transporting a ton of beef of the best quality is no more than would be incurred in freezing and conveying to Kurope a ton of inferior meat, it will pay better to raise- the first than the second." He estimates that, the Australian colonies have now a surplus of about 250,000 head of stock available for export, and that this suiplus could be almost immediately increased to a million if an active demand for frozen meat weve to find a ready market. Of this there can be no doubt now, and we may therefore conclude that the trade will increase in accordance with Mr Frariklyn's prediction. Australia will yet accomplish wonders in the export of cattle, as well as something in sheep. Hut the case will probably be reversed here. This colony will, in proportion to its area, take the lead in sheep, and a second place as regards cattle. Not that we shall not be al>le to raise cattle as good as, if not superior to, those of the Australian' colonies, but because sheep will probably pay better. There is no reason why this colony should not almost immediately export 2,000,000 sheep annually. This might be done without much ado. But if the lands which are now not carrying more than one tithe of their capacity, weve' properly utilised, and the unoccupied lands were settled by small holders, Now Zealand could be raised to a pinnacle of importance as an exporter of frozen meat that would astonish her compeers, and act as a very important; factor in her substantial prosperity. All that is wanted is enterprise. There ia plenty of capital available to secure the necessary appliances and establish a trade which, with the help of land laws which 'shall; induce settlement, might be extended to gigantic proportions. -Oam^Maa. *