34 BULLETIN 313, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Australia." This council consists at present of 12 members, who rep- 

 resent various associations or unions in the States. The purpose of 

 this council is to make orders and regulations to insure unity of action 

 by the federated associations. An important object of all the pastoral 

 associations is to adjust labor matters for their members. They also 

 represent their members in all matters affecting the occupation and 

 development of land for stock farming and grazing purposes. 



The relation of local unions or associations to the federal council is 

 shown in the case of the United Pastoralists' and Grazing Farmers' 

 Association of Queensland. This association comprises five district 

 associations, having a total membership of 880 stock owners, repre- 

 senting 63 per cent of the sheep and 28 per cent of the cattle in the 

 State. Each of the district associations holds its own annual meeting. 



The executive offices of this State association furnish advice and 

 make representations to the Government land department. During 

 the 1914 meeting discussions were held and action asked or taken on 

 such questions as methods of assessing rates on pastoral holdings, 

 insurance of employees' and members' products, stock stealing, mini- 

 mum area of grazing farms and homesteads, and extension of leases. 

 During the year members were advised as to action in 19 cases of dis- 

 putes with shearers and shed hands. Other organizations repre- 

 sented in the federal council have similar functions and subsidiary 

 organizations. 



PROBABLE EXTENT OF FUTURE IMPORTATIONS OF MUTTON AND 

 WOOL FROM AUSTRALASIA. 



In the minds of many American farmers there exists an uncer- 

 tainty regarding the influence upon the future course of prices of 

 importations of mutton and wool. Australia and New Zealand are 

 regarded by some as likely to greatly increase their production and 

 supply our markets and thus depress the price of the home-grown 

 products. 



These countries can increase their production to a considerable ex- 

 tent. Such an increase can not be a sudden one, and it is doubtful if 

 an additional output can be produced at a lower cost than is possible 

 by the use of the best methods in the United States. None of the 

 land now unoccupied in New Zealand is capable of producing really 

 high-class mutton or wool. An increase of that country's sheep 

 population is -to be looked for chiefly through more seeding of nat- 

 ural pastures and the cultivation of forage crops on present natural 

 or artificial grass areas. With the ruling cost of labor and the com- 

 paratively slow rate of increase in population, the advance toward 

 any system requiring an increase of labor is likely to be gradual. 



In Australia there is a great deal of territory available for new 

 flocks. Much of it, however, is subject to rather frequent droughts, 



