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Meat Export Trade 



By CUTHBERT FeTHERSTONHAUGH. 



Impeoved metliods of distribution have once and for all exploded the 

 MaltluTsian theory, which for a term took such a hold of the public 

 mind, and instead of the population of the world outpacing food pnt- 

 duction, we find every year food becoming- cheaper and more easily 

 procured. Without running the risk, therefore, of being considered 

 altogether Utopian one may picture to oneself a time when, on account 

 of increased facilities of distribution, there will be no starving men and 

 women on the face of the earth. 



Meat Export a New Departure. 



The export of meat from New South Wales is almost a new departure, 

 and was forced upon graziers in 1891, when, after three exceptional 

 good seasons, they found all local avenues for the disposal of their surplus 

 stock closed. It was plainly seen that in some shape or other, whether 

 frozen, chilled, canned, or as tallow, surplus stock would have to bo 

 got rid of by exporting it out of the colony. There were nearly 

 62,000,000 sheep, and the country was at that time very much over- 

 stocked. The surplus consisted for the most part of animals not fit 

 for export as dressed mutton, so that the " pots " were called into 

 requisition, and the old wasteful, but prompt, method of boiling down 

 for tallow was resorted to. Millions of sheep were thus disposed of, 

 and together with numbers of good sheep, a great clearance was made 

 of old and inferior stock, leaving more room also for sheep to be 

 fattened. 



On all sides we hear it said that the meat export trade of Australia 

 is capable of almost unlimited expansion, and the writer has at all 

 times freely expressed the opinion that an immense future lies before 

 that trade. On no industry is Australia so dependent as the pastoral, 

 and in its turn that industry is dependent on the successful disposal of 

 its surplus stock. Until, therefore, a satisfactory minimum value has 

 been established for that surplus, the great pastoral industry must 

 continue in a depressed condition, and in sympathy the whole Colony 

 must needs suffer. 



The present depression, intensified, it is true, by the uncertain state 

 of the labour market, which deters capital from being invested, is 

 chiefly due to the enormous fall in the value of pastoral products. 

 There is, however, now a decided advance in our staple commodity, 

 wool, an advance which there is good reason to believe has come to 

 stay. If, therefore, by judicious action, the disposal of surplus stock 

 can be placed on better lines, we may reasonably look for a very 

 marked revival in our greatest industry, and a consequent improve- 

 ment all alono- the line. 



