FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1916, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY

A SERIOUS QUESTION. Under this heading, a correspondent, signing himself "Mokoia," writes to Monday's Wellington Post:— "My work carries me all over the country, and I am amazed at the number of ewe lambs, cows, bulls and vealers (nine months calves of both sexes) that are being dealt with at the various freezing works in the North Island. A report of the number of old bulls and vealers that are slaughtered at Waitara and vealers at Patea would cause some consternation amongst town dwellers, who will have to pay the piper for meat in future years in New Zealand if the present ruthless slaughter is allowed to continue. When at Hawera recently the writer saw a mob of about 200 vealers on their way to be slaughtered at Patea. The same thing is taking place all over the country. Cows are also being killed in large numbers while old bulls are bringing as much as £ls per head. In conversation with a big Taranaki buyer last week, he saiil the moat works were treating more vealers than ever before. This fact was attributed to the youngsters weighing heavy, and thus bringing a nice price to the exporters. The same buyer was surprised at the lethargy of the Government in not stopping the wholesale slaughtering of cows, vealers and ewe lambs, which will mean a great shortage of stock in future years. The same stock buyers thought that the time was ripe for an export duty on meat, which might help to equalise matters. Certainly the matter mentioned requires serious consideration, and I hope that the Post will see fit to substantiate the matter herein contained. A visit to some of the abattoirs in the North Island would reveal something extraordinary."