Tanneries.

The possession and increase of our herds of cattle allows meat to be sold to consumers at such a price as to place beef on every man's table. This, of course, encourages a large consumption, and the cattle utilised for food provide hides for leather of a quality and size which has already caused the Southland tanned hides to bring the highest market rates; and there is practically no limit to the extension of this important industry, for over 10,000 green hides are annually exported from the South Island to Britain, the tan- page 4 neries not being sufficiently numerous to manufacture leather from the hides available in the colony.