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the average for the year fd., or 3s. 3d. per head, which, with additional value of wool and fat, would make a total difference between North and South of between 6s. and 7s. The above figures may perhaps interest your Committee, Shipments afloat to-day are 175,000, against 1,000,000 in April and 875,000 in August. A month hence there will be practically " no afioats," and for another month still practically none, with very few in December ; thus for three months there will be a famine. This seems to indicate that freezing-power does not want increasing much at present. Yours, &c, Thomas Mackenzie, Esq., M.H.R., Hotel Cecil, Wellington. W. Nelson.

Sir,— Otaki, 20th September, 1902. Herewith I send you copies of resolutions passed at the last meeting of the Otaki Branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. I trust you will be able to act as delegate in terms of the first resolution. The second resolution is intrusted to your care for presentation to the Select Committee of the House as a recommendation from the local branch. Yours, &c, A. Leigh Hunt, Secretary. Mr. J. D'Ath, Otaki. Resolution I. —" That Mr. J. D'Ath be appointed a delegate to give evidence before the Select Committee of the House re the meat industry." Resolution 2. —"That the Government be asked to grade and mark all meat leaving a New Zealand port; to build cool-stores in London and other places ; and also to appoint Government agents to put the meat-market in England on a better footing."

Sir,— Christchurch, 27th September, 1902. In giving my evidence I omitted stating why the Wellington Meat-export and other companies in the North Island preferred the heavy sheep, and I objected to them. In Canterbury our firm freeze at Belfast, who are not buyers of stock, but simply put through the works sheep on owners' account —those that are suitable for export only —whereas the companies in the North Island have the run of numerous butchers' shops to which anything that is not fit or suitable for export is made the most of; therefore the heavy sheep are more profitable to them for that, or probably any other purpose, than lighter sheep. I was in error when I stated that our firm did not place our registered brand on North Island stock ; we certainly placed our brand on the prime Wellington Meat-export Down lambs, but not on others. I forward you our three tags : (a.) Prime Belfast mutton and lamb, (b.) Others than Down Wellington Meat-export and Napier; also mutton, (c.) Wellington Meat-export prime Down lambs. Yours, &c, J. Hurse, The Chairman of Committee on Frozen-meat, &c. Chapman and Hurse.«

Kilbirnie, Wellington, 26th September, 1902. Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, — As a delegate and a sheep-farmer from the Nelson District I beg to state that we have for many years past been situated in rather an unfortunate position with regard to the frozen-meat industry of this colony. I will take you back to the eighties. In those days freezing-works were erected in the Marlborough District, some hundred to a hundred and fifty miles distant from the various parts of the Nelson District. That company placed buyers amongst us, and paid fair prices for our sheep and lambs. These sheep had to be driven the distance I have just mentioned, and by the time they reached the works they were much reduced in weight and quality. Therefore the company withdrew the buyers, thinking it unwise to continue. This left us almost without a market for our surplus sheep. However, this seemed to arouse the farmers to their own interests, and an attempt was made to establish works for ourselves, but what with want of capital and insufficient numbers of sheep guaranteed the project fell through, and we again had to depend upon our own local market, and the mining towns of Greymouth, Eeefton and Westport, for the consumption of our mutton. The Christchurch Meat Company, having erected up-to-date works at Picton, last season placed a buyer in the various parts of our district, and once again brought a market to our doors, for which I and many of the Nelson farmers feel very thankful. But I, sir, speaking for myself, will say that feeling thankful is not feeling satisfied. Last season the said company paid us during the months of February, March, and April, 10s., and during the months of May and June lis. to 12s. per head for sheep, and 9s. 6d. to 10s. for lambs during the same period. The Nelson sheep are chiefly Eomneys bred up from Merinos and intermixed with English Leicester and Down blood, and, though a breeder of Eomneys myself, I will say they are not the best class of sheep for freezing. The company shipped to Picton last season eight thousand sheep

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