A BUYER’S IMPRESSIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8338, 25 January 1913, Page 11

A BUYER’S IMPRESSIONS

AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS , COMPARED. Mr J. M. Watson, who represents Messrs Borthwick and Sons, Ltd., of Australasia, one of the largest meat exporting firms in New Zealand, furnished a “ Southland News ” representative with soma interesting particulars regarding the slaughtering business. When asked if it was a fact that slaughtermen in Australia were warranted in receiving a higher wage for their work than the men in New Zealand, Mr Watson replied in the affirmative. “ You know,” said the reporter, “ that one of the main reasons for winch they intend to cease work is that the Commonwealth men receive a higher rate per 100 sheep than the slaughtermen in the Dominion?” “ Well, from my experience,” replied Mr Watson, “I would rather kill in New Zealand at a certain fixed wage than kill at the same wage in Australia.” He gave as an explanation the fact that the sheep were very much harder to dress owing to the burr and grass seed. This latter was very sore on the hands, and consequently the labour entailed was well worth at least an extra 2s fid. He gave another reason why the sheep were harder to dress. “The' works in Australia,” he said, “ are very much further away from the sheep stations, being nearly all situated near the coast. Therefore by the time the sheep reach the works they have lost their ‘ bloom,' and their skins become hard, and are consequently more difficult to work.” The first lot of jambs Mr Watson purchased in Victoria this season had to be railed 450 miles to the works. “Yes,” he said, “it is harder work killing sheep in Australia than in New Zealand.” The wages paid at the present time were 27s fid per 100, but in Sydney he knew of works paying 30s. Of course, with regard to the latter rate the men were working under conditions stipulating a minimum and maximum output. This bad been the result of trouble in Sydney with the employers. Reverting to the trouble in dressing caused by the grass seed, Mr Watson said he had commonly come upon sheep affected with spear grass so badly that the seed pierced theskin and flesh to a quarter of an inch. In many cases it caused inflammation to set in and frequently resulted in sheep being condemned. In discussing the quality of the Australian sheep during the past season,

Mr Matson said it was not as good as in tho previous year. This was chiefly owing to the drought. Towards the middle of the season, however, when rain became plentiful the quality improved. 'When he left there were a great many shorn lambs coming in, but very few woolly ones. Notwithstanding tho unfavourable climatic conditions and the deterioration in tho quality the prices were a record. He was paying at one period as high as 15s for lambs, but the average price was 13s per 30ib “ The great trouble,” he said, “with Australian sheep-rearing is the absence of rape. There is practically no rape growing in Australia, with the exception of a littlo on the western coast.” He further -stated that the reason why tho Commonwealth lamb was not equal to the Now Zealand product was because there was no rape fodder to finish it off. Generally there was plenty of fodder in New Zealand, and under favourable conditions there was no excuse for tho New Zealand farmer not having primo sheep. He could not say what was tho most popular sheep in Australia. The merino predominated in Queensland, Lincoln, and Border Leicester in Victoria, and tho merino was again conspicuous in New South Males. The reporter inquired if tho American Trust, about which much had been heard, would obtain a strong hold of the business in the Commonwealth. Mr Matson thought it would. It was operating very actively in Queensland. Ho know one or two buyers who had received very tempting offers to accept engagements with it. Ho did not think, however, that it would have a very detrimental effect on the colonial works, although they might outbid many of the small exporters.