HORSE SHOES ARE SCARCE IN THE BAY OF PLENTY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 61, 7 March 1949, Page 4

HORSE SHOES ARE SCARCE IN THE BAY OF PLENTY

Horse shoes in the Bay of Plenty are in very short supply and present indications are that the position is getting worse, the secretary of Federated Farmers for the Bay of Plenty, Mr E. J. Vosper, Tauranga, told the Beacon. He said he could not hold out much hope for a return to normal yet. Mr Vosper said the shortage was brought to his notice by the Opouriao dairy factory which, requested an immediate supply as they had no shoes at all.

“I have approached all the merchants at Tauranga but there is not a shoe in the place,” he added. “The only arrangement I could come to was with the blacksmith and he has agreed to supply shoes. However, he has only enough metal to last two months and then he will have to close down.”

Questioned as to the reason of the shortage Mr Vosper said there was a lack of steel in New Zealand at the present time. The Auckland factory, which previously supplied the shoes, had closed down before Christmas and had not opened since.

Of all the farmers in the Bay of Plenty it will be those in the Eastern portion that will suffer most, Mr Vosper pointed out. Many suppliers to the Opouriao factory, which manufactures cheese, transport their milk by horse drawn vehicles. They also make more use of horses because of the land being less adaptable to the use of machinery. Drovers and musterers in the district also account for many of the shoes used.

Mr Vosper said that he had only obtained temporary relief for Taneatua farmers but in an endeavour to get an increased supply the question had been referred to the head office of Federated Farmers in Wellington.