Mr Geo. Smith for the investigating committee said it had been stated that they would not have a sufficient number of sheep to make freezing works a success. They had been told that 80,000 sheep would be necessary. The committee had found that last year in Tuapeka and Bruce there were 1,021,000 sheep.
If the Balclutha freezing works got half of the sheep of Tuapeka and two-thirds of the sheep of Bruce, and all the sheep in Clutha they would have 680,000 sheep.
More than two-thirds of these would be ewes (450,000), and the increase from these at 8 per cent would equal 340,000 lambs each year. Half of these (170,000) they could fatten.
If the works got half of these it would equal 85,000 fat sheep, irrespective of wethers and rabbits. The counties adjacent to the works would fatten far more in proportion than their quota of 20 per cent.
Surely with all these sheep at hand Clutha could support one freezing works.-(Applause.)The prospectus of the South Otago Freezing Company (Ltd.) was read, and on the motion of Mr Malcolm, M. P., and Mr J. Crawford Anderson was unanimously approved of.
The proposed nominal capital is 75,000, in 15,000 shares of 5 each, the first issue to consist of 10,000 shares.
The provisional directors are: - Messrs John Begg, jun, of Hillend, sheepfarmer; Jas. Smith, of Greenfield, sheepfarmer; R. Tout, of Clydevale, sheepfarmer; James R. Mitchell, of Lambourne, sheepfarmer; John Christie, of Warepa, farmer; Joseph Mosley, of Inchclutha, farmer; Jasper Clark, of Lovell's Flat, farmer; George Smith, of Balclutha, agent; John Clarke, of Wairuna, sheepfarmer; James Cumming, of Ashburton, farmer; Joseph Smith, of Stirling, farmer.
- ODT, 28.5.1910
