OUR MEAT PRODUCTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2031, 14 July 1885, Page 3

OUR MEAT PRODUCTION.

Out To \wimutu correspondent \viite« : — In Ins lottoi w huh appiMto'l in Tluuml.ijs i-sm> of tin-, [i,i]»u Mi Iv'illk3 i'*ff i-> to the lummy of uhmL by the Co-opeiation Association, and allude-, to tint uidustij in AmciiL.i. If it can be earned on mic-o-fully in Aineiic.i thrre is no icason why it •■hiiukl not be done heio where meat is much cheapei than in the States. In that country li\c stock is sold entiiely by live weight and the price-, it brings would make the foitune of farmers in this countiy. Hut m buying cattle by weight a* much, or peihaps more judgment is lequned than bin ing as wo do here, for in New Yoik the di fit lence between infciior and best quality cattle has been at> high as two dollais and twenty cents. Still theie can be no ques turn of the supei iority of their system in tlio -ale of *toek over onis. JJul to the letuin to the canning of meat and the dilttience m the i'iicc of beef m Chicago the) ((notations of cattle lecened foi sale and the pi ice of beef on Maich 31st wme, accuidiiig to the Dioveis.' Journal — lii'ueipt-, 7,">00 head ; .shipments, 3000 head ; best guides steady ; l.lTiOlhs to 1.200!h5, 54.2> to ft4.!)o ; l,2ootr>s to 1 , lO'Jl b>, >1. 'Jo to $">. i) 0 ." Theii pi ices al o f ir lUOlbs live weight, or in our coinage, 17-, Ills ttd, £1 and £1 3s 9d, lespectnelj, a puce \ciy much highei than rules heio foi beef according to the butchers' .standaid of dead weight. Yet with beef at that pi ice and othei stock in propoition, the canning industiy is eauied on on a \eiv large scale. Since England became engaged in the Soudan war, the demand for turned meat increased enonnou>ly, for owing to the high piice iniing fur meat in the Home market*, she has to lely entirely on foieign countiies for her supply of the tinned ai tide. In Chicago dining last Match, an oi del was lecened for 10,000,0001n5. Now such an order as that could not help beuehtting stock -raiseis, for natur.illy prices would haiden somewhat, but the pi ices quoted cannot be looked upon as '• wai pnces,''as the older for even so Hige a quantity of canned meat could not, in such a stock-raiiing country as Ameiica, haw* a \cty great effect on the m.uket lates, so that they must be looked upon as \eiy little owr oidinarv iate», but doubtless stock would be held o\ei in the expect ition of a Kuiopean war, Now hero is ,i w ide fi( Id of n-( f ilne-s open to the ooopeiatne association, foi if at the puces mentioned meat can be piofitably canned in Chuago, it is but leisonable to suppose it can be done heio with equal pioht. <-tTho peace of Km ope is not likely to be maintained for any gic.it length of tune, and it would be w ise to be in a position to take advantage <>( the demand that would then exist for canned meat, but even under the piesont enenmstances theie is a good niaiket in England and the continent for the article. New Zealand canned meat is spoken of \ciy highly m the Home maiket, and weaie in a position, taking into consideration the difTeience in the price of beef, to compete with America. It would cost les-, to send meat home in tins than in a fio/.en state, for no fieezing apparatus would be requned. and it could be packed in a smallei compass on board the \ e^cls, thus lpducing the l ate of fi eight. The item of insurance on home caigoes of meat piesses heavily on shippers, could the association not do then own insuring? If it pays the liisin.uicu companies to run the nsk on c.ugoes, it would hincly pay the .issom tion to do the same. They may not perhaps be in a position to do so at present, but theie is eveiy leason to suppose it will soon be in a piospcrous condition when they could take the risk. Some ot the steamship lines, the Inman foi one, do their own msming and they find it pay. In order to do all this, the fnrinoi ■< must give their suupoit to the association, and thus help themselves instead of, Micawbuiliko, waiting for something to turn up. So long as they mo content to go on m the same groove, so long will the piesent depiOsNiou continue, foi the solid and pei manent piot-penty of any countiy can only be assuied by the prospenty of the agncultural community. To be piosperous, Juhe farmers must look to themselves and 'develop a, spiiit of self lelunce. The se\eie, experience they have had is awakening them to this fact, and the soonei thtv tiansact as much of then own business as they can, without the intervention of agents, the bettei it will be fioin them selves.

A 0 vt>siik\d, KngLuid, t'ngincciing firm, employing I*2oo men, has .ill the copying of its (hafts and plans done by yount; women, who do the work much better than when it is done by men. Nh\\ "k ouk p.iys 7,000,000 dol. a >cai for its -uligion and -22,000,000 dol. for its chinks, which goes to show that New Yoik is having more fun in this world than it will in the next. I lie attention of stock-owners is directed to the advertisement in our columns ot the Xi w /ciland I'Vo/en Meat Company It will be se< n that the company is prepared to rccene sheep and cattle on owner's account for slnpuicnt in September next, and in tbe present instance no extra charge will be made for storage between the present time and the date of shipment. flu:> really means .1 laving of all cost of adjustment for that period, a concession that should be of fXre.it valur where feed is running: short. It is very desirable in the interests of the agricultural community generally that the Freezing Conipanj should be supported in its efforts to relieve the glut hitherto existing at certain season 1 ! in the quantities of stock coming forward, and this can only be done by stock -owners taking their fair proportion of risk in shipping for the Home market, and looking to the enham cd value of the balance ccmaiuing for looal sales.