VALUE OF RABBIT SKINS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3477, 4 May 1920, Page 6

VALUE OF RABBIT SKINS.

A London cable was published" recently to the effect that the British Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging small holders to breed rabbits for furs to replace the cessation of Continental goods and the dinffifirtion of Aust.mlian imports. The”re' is fippareutly money in rabbit. skins. The -skin of the ordinary grey rabbit, that does ‘not look of much value to the ordinary individiral who‘. regards hunny as £l, pest, turned into the compiefed fur coat, is at presenf bringing £BO on the English market.

" A representative of an American firm of fur dealers, at present in. Australia, vouch-safed this information to the Sydney Telegrapli, and added that the fur trade was ‘booming just now throughout the world. Australian and New Zealand furs, he pointed out, produce the cheaper kinds of goods, that is, those worn by the middle classes, among whom, during the present prosperity, there is an enormous demand for luxuries. For the skins of colonial rabbits and Australian opossum, wallaby, and native hear, there is, he says, a. good market everywhere. This ‘boom, he thinks, will last as long as high wages continue, and at present they don ’t look’ like falling. At. the same time he points out that these excep- ‘, tioiially high prices are bringing a tre;nlendo‘us quantity of skins on to the imarlcet, which ma 3" affect. the position. later on. It is interesting to learn ‘ that the colonial skins are being made into imitation seal, l:pa\'er,' Neutria {South American), Kolinsky mole, kitten fox, and cub tiger (used for children’s Innf‘fs) and other articles of, various descriptions." " 1 “One has only to leave Australial and visit the markets for Australian] raw products,” Mr Scandrett. pointed out, “to realise the tremendous advantages to be obtained" by having an open market for our goods. It is q.uite useless Australi:i’s setting out to isolate herself from the high prices prevailing all over the world. We are only a small country in population and money, and we cannot expect. to bring the World down to it. We must go up to“ it, and the sooner we realise this and get. top market prices for all the materials we produce here, the sooner we shall be able to keep up our reputation of being :1 rich country. At the‘ present time we are rich in sterling, but when we go to buy goods for that sterling we find we are only able to buy a q‘uart.er of the amount of goods with it. that we could buy a few years‘ 21340.” Giving an example ot' the advantages of an open market, Mr Scand- ‘ rett. quoted hides and rabbit skins.| “Exactly the same procedure,” he continued, “will follow all our pro—i ducts; the prices of gomls are governed ‘by the low of supply and denland,l and all governmental regulations that are brought in will not alter the position. lzlngland has tried it; .-Xmerica and Europe have tried it, and they are '_rln.(lllz*.lly dropping it.” i