FEILDING A. & P. ASSOCIATION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11645, 12 August 1916, Page 8

FEILDING A. & P. ASSOCIATION.

The general committee met last night, Mr.Jas. Knight presiding. Offers of trophies were accepted from Mrs Taylor of £o os for sheep, £1 for £1 from £5 to £lO by the N.Z. Dairy Cattle Breeders’ Association fop "cows for which could be shown an authenticated butter fat or milk record, £5 from the Jersey Breeders to the same object, a gold medal for the best 2 tooth Southdown.rams by the Sheepbreeders’ Association.

At the Suggestion ot the Council of Agriculture that names of judges be submitted, Messisßurrell, Booth, Short and the Chairman were appointed to recommend judges. It was also decided to adopt a scale of points in awarding prizes. Mr H. J. Pagan was elected a member of the committee. REPORT ON EXPORT STOCK.

21 sheep, 80 freezing lambs and 55 tegs, were sent to Messrs Fitter and Sons for which the gross price realised in London was £3lB 3s 6d. Exporters obtained £2G3 16s 5d net. The average price obtained for the sheep was £2 10s 7d per head; for the freezing lambs £1 6s 6d, and for the tegs £1 18s Id. The price per lb. realised on the London market for sheep was from 9d to and tor the lambs from lOd to lO^d. Messrs Fitter arid Sons, reporting on the export sheep of the Show, wrote: On this market we define lambs as carcases np to 42ibs Above that weight they are classed as tegs. Tegs and the two classes are used for different purposes. It is difficult to judge these if the carcasses of 371hs. and those of OOlbs and upwards are mixed. With regard to the lambs as a general rule the smaller the weight at which these can be matured, the more valuable they are, but in the case of tegs the smaller weights are not more valuable that the larger as they are principally sold as very prime mutton,in fact the heavier teg is more valuable than the smaller one, especially if of good qualtiy. full of meat and without waste. Mr John Cobbe, commenting on the prices obtained for the Show sheep, especially the lambs, as compared to those paid to farmers in New Zealand, said it was evident that someone was getting a large profit other than the consumer. He proposed that the list of prices obtained for the sheep sent to Fitter and Sons be sent to the Premier, and that he be asked to inquire into the matter.

Mr Hugh Burrell seconded the motion. He said the farmer -was getting 5d for lamb, while they were bringing nearly at Home. It appeared to him that the ohject in commandeering the lamb in the interests of the consumers had been defeated.

Mr J. Perrett said it was evident there was a leakage somewhere, though it was certain that but for the meat having been commandeered and consequently means provided by British Government for its export, such good prices would not have been obtained as had been. No objection would be made against the prices if the consumers got the benefit but apparently this went to the middlemen.

Mr Perry said he had exported 350 lambs a month before the meat was commandeered and obtained 6s 7d a head more for them than he could get for them in the Dominion. The Chairman, Mr E. Short, and Mr N. Gorton also supported the motion and a committee was appointed to draw up the view of the general committee on the matter for submission to tbe Premier, with the request that he should make a full inquiry into the matter on his visit to England. After some laudatory remarks [by the President and members of the committee on the good services of the secretarj*, it was decided to increase his salary by £SO a year.