FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE MEAT FREEZING WORKS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9563, 9 August 1909, Page 6

FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE MEAT FREEZING WORKS.

. To the Editor. Sir,—ln reading "New Chum's" reply to my latter uf 29th ult., he seems to think someone was "pulling my leg." I should like to state that I spent a long time, and through a season, on a fairly large farm, and I aaw>U the fats that were delivered from that farm to the freezing works, and can safely say that they drafted far deeper than the buyers do here. (I should like to state here that I do not find any fault, nor have I heard of any against the companyies buyers as to knowing their business, etc. They have their orders from the head office). The points are:—Are we satisfied with the way they draft? And did they take all our fats? And do they give us a fair price for cur iops? I say "No." To "New Chum's" statement of a farmer, who is not sure whether 50 or 1,000 are fit to go, etc., bringing a buyer to look through his flock, my answer is the following, which I will vouch for and which happened to a friend of mine not 50 mile 3 from Masterton, and who has steadily dealt with one of the companies for a number oi years. He expected to get away 400 fats. The buyer, after seeing the sheep, did not think he cculd get a drive worth taking. Next morning the farmer took a Napier buyer to look through the same sheep, and he took 480. Why did the sheep have to go North? Answer: Couldn't be dealt with. I could name others who had to send theirs North. Point 2. Where is the price made? Wellington over the telephone between two companies 10s or 12s as the case miy be. My neighbour who sheared his sheep six weeks before me received the same price as I. Where doea the odd 9d go for wool? Companies' big dividends and large reserve funds! Ask any Canterbury man if he is satisfied, and there are a number here. I have asked two, and they have both told me the same thing—no competition. "New Chum" missed Mr Cooper's point. 1 don't know that I said there was anything very clever about it. Mr Cooper's idea was to go in for breeding something after Canterbury's lamb and mu ;ton (English and Border Leicester cross). Ask any furmer here his experience on the above crosses, and he will tell you they are too small. The buyers will pass them by for the longlegged Lincoln-Romney. I am sorry I must quote Canterbury again. Where does Canterbury get a great number of its breeding ewes from? Southland and North Island, to be crossed with Border and English Leicester and sent Home as Canterqury lamb. Brother farmers, get to work, and if the canvasser for

shares has not called on you apply to the secretary and let Messrs "B" and "New Chum" know that you know your A B.C. We have been 1 long enough without any opposition for our fats. Again, I say, build our works and we will have more buyers. When Cantez-bury can support five companies surely we can support three. I notice in a report of a meeting of the Masterton A. and P. Association a short discussion re fat sheep (sale-yards). Where are your buyers coming rrom? Our buyers- for the works will be conspicuous by their absence in the flush of the season. Mr President, bring this point forward at your next meeting,, and I feel sure that if you and your committee help to forward the freezing works we shall have more buyers to attend your fat sheep sales. Hoping to see some abler pen than mine take this matter I up.—l am, etc., I ENTHUSIAST. I Masterton, August 7th. j To the Editor. Sir,—l wish to reply to some remarks by "New Chum," which appeared in your paper of August 3rd. A great many farmers of this part of the North Island do not consider thejstatemer.t made by "Enthusiast" misleading, judging by the way they are taking up shares in the new company. Will "New Chum" enlighten us on whether it was not the Farmers' Freezing Company which educated the farmers of Canterbury by encouraging them to consign on their own account, and is it not a fact that there are more small consignments from Canterbury than any other province. I would like "New Chum" to explain why a douto Island buyer of repute can come to our yards three days after the North Island buyer, whom he says takes sheep and lambs that a Canterbury buyer would not look at, and take 92 more sheep and lambs out of a small line of 300, and give sixpence per head more This is the

experience of some farmers of the Wairarapa and Bush Districts. "New Chum's" observations are guesses of a misleading order, as far as this part of the North Island is concerned. He says a great many North laland sheepfarmers do not know whether there are 50 or 1,000 fjt to go. Well. "New Chum," I can tell you that a great many North Island farmers have had to sit on the fence, and see his tops go' and say nothing, knowing all the time that freezing sheep are being passed over. The buyers are on the box seat. You dare not dictate to them, no matter what you know. Can "New Chum" explain why one does not see prime and extra prime quoted in our district aies, and why the pneps are uniform for almost all fat stock, when we know only too well we have this class of stock on many of our farms. "New Chum" seems to know a lot about Canterbury methods, and cannot swallow "Enthusiast's" wild statements. I hope he will swallow my questions, and give us some more of his Canterbury experiences. —I am, etc., R. D. MCKENZIE. Kopuaranga, Aaeust sth. 1909.