AMUSEMENTS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3326, 3 November 1919, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS.

RELEASE OF WHEAT COMMANDEER, JUNE, 1920.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—4l have attended the spring cut~tle fairs held recently et Taihape’ Hunterville, and elsewhere, and have been struck by the number of farmers who have a very pessimistic outlook re stock values in the future, especially if so be the eonnnamleer is released in June, 1920. I can understand a man going careful if his feed piospeets are poor. but with such a world-wide demand for his produce, how can a sane business man be pessimistic in his outlook? I will just enumerate a few facts that occur to my mind:—— (.1) Never in the world.’s history was there such a demand for wool, meats, fats, -oils, animal by-products, ete.. as at the present time, with a. tendency to still higher values as the nations settle down to work. (2) The shipping outlook for the coming season improves more the closer we come to ithand like most troubles in the distance ,ofter overdrawn.

i_ (3) There is a sure market at a. fixed price to June, 1920.‘ If that is not I continued, the down-hearted gentlemen say, “Now comes your slump.” I I say, Why, ifzthe gentlemen manag- ; lug your produce concerns know their I business, you may depend on them keeping up their end of the stick, with a. market Waiting at prices 150 per cent higher than apythin-g they have been able to get anytime since they have been in existence. Co-operation was I very» much in evidence on Wednesday l last, but I did not hear one word about 1 wliat, to my mind is ‘the all-important one, viz., “organised co-operation with the British retailer to dispose of our i meat and oifals.” That is the problem, I and you W-on’t: -solve it in New Zealand. 'The meat export trade is essen'ti.al to _ this Dominion ’s welfare. Your cus[tomers abroad should be studied. in | every way, grading here at present is a i_ farce; you require at least a dozen T grades to suit English trade . but it ‘should be one brand only——New Zeailand. You are ‘poor advertisers; too. ‘ The two best salesmen you have ‘had up to the ‘present -are the “All Blacks” and "the" New Zealand soldiers when on leave in Britain. ' They ’earned the graltuity for that alone. A vigorousa-dvel~ tising campaign should be ready ho‘? start; as soon as the commandeert finishes. I have got a. bit away from my subject, but I" firmly believe ‘that with up-to-date business methods of marketing (not as-‘ a farmer ‘thinks, but according tb the ideas of the trade he is supplying)), the sooner -the commandeer is released the better for everyone, and will, I think, easily make I up the extra nine millions required per annum in excess of pre-war taxation._ E:~:amine the hide embargo farce. Tanners can take hidegat 10d per lb, that fetch 24d by auction for export. Why? To get cheap boots. Do we? Oh, dear, no; leather is so dear; How’s that? The tanner gets hides at half price, and c,all’t.‘*export.' them. ~- No, but his busi-Q .IICSs is to‘ tan them, and he cz:n ship away as much leather as he likes. TSn‘’t ’ it a cinch“.?-~I am, este., ~ - ‘SAM s. TIMBS. 1