Fat Stock.

Manawatu Herald, 22 July 1902, Page 2

Fat Stock.

Three fanners from the East Coast convened a meeting of fanners at Feilding last week and the matter of the low price of sheep was talked over. Mr Perry one of the deputation, said the cause of the low price of sheep on this island was that the freezing companies held a monopoly. A freezing works like the Belfast was needed here in which freezing was done on owners’ account. This enabled buyers to do a c.i.f. business and induce a more healthy competition. If the freezing companies would not make terms with farmers the latter should start works to break down the monopoly. He believed it would result in raising the price of shesp zs a head at least.

Mr R. S. Abraham said he had had a certain amount of experience in freezing, " as\he had been acting for a c.i.f. buyer. "?he trouble now com-

plained of was caused by a want of competition. In the first place the companies arranged the market prices and the c.i.f. buyers were not sufficiently plentiful. Last year he tried to get them up into this district and to a certain extent had been successful. When these buyers went into the yards they might offer 6d more and thus cause a gradual rise but at Christchurch this class of buyers obtained advice from Home and bought accordingly. Here there was no market price. In the South, too, the by products brought a better price. Last year he had to accept 20s for best mutton tat when it was realising 30s in Christchurch. Skins also brought a higher price there. There was room for more freezing accommodation in this part. Last year he had been a sufferer, having had about 5000 sheep waiting about five weeks, and at last he had to send them to Picton at a loss of 3s 6d a head. Mr Abraham praised the Wellington Meat Export Company being always willing to freeze on owners’ account and obtain for them the same price for by-products as the company could obtain, but at the same time there beiag a monopoly the prices that could be got by competition were not obtainable. The speaker mentioned one firm of c.i.f. buyers who purchased 40,000 sheep and 4000 cattle last year, but seeing that these had to compete with the companies to arrange to freeze their stock, the position could not be deemed satisfactory. The establishment of markets for the sale of fat stock would bring c.i.f. buyers. Mr Perry said he had raised half bred Leicester thinking they would make better mutton but the company’s buyer simply passed them over with the remark that they would be tatter the next time he came. In the Wairarapa a company’s buyer took his ' pick of fat lambs from a flock. Two days after a c.i.f. buyer came along and took 500 of those left and gave is a head better price.