BOILING DOWN.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 597, 18 March 1876, Page 3

BOILING DOWN.

Sib, — In your Iwt iiiue on the price of tallow, " Mento " quotes mutton tallo w in tho London market at 51a 6d, oad alto the aale of aheep at 2Jd and 2Jd per Ib, M sold by Mr A Buckland at Ohanpo, or, as he also states, 14s for fat wethers weighing 100 lbs. Arguments mat bo in his favour at present, as there is no demand for such stock ; but let a boiling down establishment be once started, their price will increase, bo that those who are shareholders will cry out " stop, we hare gone far enough, the London market is glutted and our kit consignment will utterly rum us." Our local butch, rs «annot buy them to retail at a profit, they rise the price, and consumers cry out that the price is too high. Everything else will rise in proportion, and as it is here as well as in all other parts of the world, the poor labourer demands more wages ; the farmer is too poor to pay the increase with profit, and, as is always the case, a general stagnation throughout the length and breadth of the land preTftils. Home consumption in these Colonies will pay the breeders of cattle with a good enough m*rgin for its continuence, w itiiout the anxiety of waiting on their agents at London or elsewhere far remittances, and these when commissions ore deducted break the heart of many a now prosperous settler, forcing him to leave a country where he might otherwise prosper, either a begger, or so disgusted that he would die elsewhero ■ooner than return.— l am, &c, No Exportation. Hamilton, 17fch March, 1876.

Sic, — "Mento" has without consulting his own conscience recommended the boiling 'down of sheep as a more lucrative pursuit to be followed, than selling them ; for why ? Let 'him atk >&nd poiut out the cost of purchasing boilers, ths labor of men, purehaie of coal or wood, that of getting barrels, and also that of freight, &c, without going into the probable loss in carriage, or fluctuation! in market value, and efter that, lot it he brought 'thoroughly before the public of Waikato thrdugh the Cambridge !Farmers Club, where such will get due attention ; and«£uote til that is possible from the N-Z 'Loan Company's circular before writing again. The following calculation will show the correctness of ' wbat I Btate/andl defy "Mento" to show to the contrary :— At 2Jd per lb th« price would be £2s 133 4 per ton in Auckland; atid 51»6d"per owt would be £51 10s per ton ai told in London 2,240 lbs at 2}d perlb £25 13 4 Freight 3 0 0 Cooperage 2 10 0 Commission 3 0 0 Labo* 1 *nd coal -2 10 0 River freights I 16 0 Cartage 0 10 0 Loss in boiling 11 9 2 £50 7 6 Sundriei 1-2 '6 ' TcTi! £61 10 0 20 ov.'t of tallow at 51i 6d per c wt . . . £51 JC 0 — I am, &c, Pititb cultueb. Hamilton E&it, 16th March, 1876.