FUTURE OF WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1921, Page 4

FUTURE OF WESTLAND

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL

POSSIBILITIES

(Paper read at the Progress League meeting, by -Ur W. Jeffries).

The present juncture in the History ci’ Westland might aptly be described as the "Change-over or Transition period.” Until very recently the province enjoyed a world-wide reputation for the \ astness and richness of its mineral deposits and some idea of its plenitude may be gathered from the fact that from 1853 to 1920 a period of 66 years that precious metal gold alone yielded no less a sum than .022,819,000. Our gold-mining industry is languishing and with it the population decreasing. It however must not be forgotten that while adjoining provinces during that same period (Canterbury in paricular) were developing the foundations of future strong agricultural a..d pastoral fields of productivity, the gold produced from this and other mineral districts in the Dominion helped in no small degree to build up the solid structure of progress and settlement achieved in so short a space of time as we now find to be flic case in this fair young land. Like all mining countries Westland has declined, and the adjoining provinces progressed. Tito reason or cause ; 0 f this decline is attributed and rightly So to the following:—

(a) That the precious metal which in the earlier stages of the gold-fields was more easily accessible is more difficult at present to win, aful (b) The increased cost of producing gold is in most cases more per ounce than the metal itself is worth.

The (|uestion arises—What of the future!'' Is there any monetary substitute for precious metals. .Most certainly the answer is ‘‘Yes.” It is on record that the early gold diggers on the Coast were supplied with the necessaries of life, clothing, food, etc., from Australia and live stock from Canterbury. All this has changed and it will be admitted that Westland can produce tlie raw material for all kinds of human wants, tea, sugar and flour excepted. To enabl* us to more closely grasp the advantages and disadvantages that this province labours from we will firsttake a cursory glance at its geographical features. Westland as she lies under the western slope of the Southern Alps covers a distance of about 230 miles north to south with an average width of about 27 miles containing in area 3,894,887 acres which includes a great part of the snow clad and various outrunning ranges. Subsiding westward we find undulating plateaux, river straths, and the coast line flats, and it is to these lauds we must look with hope to the future wealth of Westland. Much has ljcen said against the climate, but it is conceded by nil that it is equable

and temperate’ Fogs and storms are rare. When they occur they are usually followed by clear and bright skies. The rainbearing winds are mostly from the N.W. and N.E. Snow on the Alps does not fall on the lower altitudes, while the rainfall which averages about lli’in per annum is mostly recorded at night. The average mean temperature in summer shade is 55 degrees and in winter 48.5 degrees and the average number of days on which there is no rainfall is two hundred, which compares most favourably wi(h the favoured province of Canterbury. Having these facts before us can it be said that this province suffers any disadvantage with the remainder of the Dominion on the ground of climate, temperature or season;-' f suggest to you that the contrary is the case. NATURE OF SOILS. More so that in any other part of the Dominion this province has a variety of soils. Firstly we have that found upon the highlands or pastoral territory which is of the nature of a fine mould and extends usually down to the timber line. In many parts its porous sub soil enables it to produce a good sward of mountain grasses. There are varying kinds of fertile soil on the still lower Hanks or timbered areas which may not lie suited for cultivation, but when cleared of hush and exposed to the sun make good grazing country. There are many small hilltops of limestone formation which are impossible for agricultural purposes, but are coated with splendid grass growing soils. Along the foot of the hills of varying size and width are thousands of acres of gentle slopes or fringes covered with a rich vegetable mould—years of decomposed vegetable matter. When properly tilled these areas are most productive and fertile. Finally, we have the magnificent stretches of alluvium, principally easily worked arable soils on. the hanks of the, rivers and streams running to the sea coast. Immensely rich and in many districts feet deep, it lias lie on proved beyond all doubt that these latter soils will grow magnificent grass and root crops in abundance, as well as certain cereals. With these plain facts to assist us, our judgment must now he guided h.v the results of "bat has already been achieved during the past decade and for this purpose we will take the dairying industry to commence with. BUTTER AND CHEESE POSSIBILITIES. At the moment we have six factories in operation in the County whose total production for last season was approximately .£37,000, but not any one of these factories was working to a maximum of cows or in other words they were capable of handling more than twice the quantity of milk. Had such been the ease and there fis no reason to the contrary, we could modestly sav the output would be £74,000. This is not all, for I submit that the following districts are capable of sustaining and running successful factories, Koiterniigi, Ross, Dry Creek, Tatare, Cooks, Karangarua, Bruce Bay, Haast and Okuru. Many of the districts could Tim as many as three factories. They all possess the soil and areas suitable for dairying and now are carrying cattle in excess of what would be required for the establishment of successful factories. Hence with an additional ten or twelve factories the dairy -product from this province should (all working at a maximum) equal an annual return of not less than £197,000. In numerous ways Westland resembles Taranaki, and T bold she is capable or similar developments. AVe find that in the latter province, for the year ending 1920, there were 142 factories in operation (26 butter and 116 cheese) which

produced 2699 tons of butter from 1776 suppliers and 26,048 tons of cheese front 3028 suppliers. To realise what this meant to Taranaki is briefly to say, the cow returned them for that year £2,885,912. Do not these figures surprise us? Westland’s figures (which include Grey) are as follows Twelve factories (8 butter and 4 cheese) produced 259 tons of butter from 499 suppliers and 189 tons of cheese from 74 suppliers and valued on the same basis returned £60,784. It is quite true that Taranaki will never produce £22,000,000 of gold, if they kept on milking till that last cow came home, but it is certain the other way, that she needs only to continue producing butter and cheese at her present rate of progress and in 66 years (the time taken to win above amount of gold) she alone will have produced sufficient to pay off the national debt of this Dominion. Is it not open to Westland to emulate the progress of Taranaki ? Undoubtedly the answer is “Yes.”

Note.—The area of Taranaki is 2,417,299 acres or 15 per bead of population to the square mile, while Westland’s average is 3.18 per head to the square mile. She carried 357,966 head of cattle including dairy cows as against Westland’s 40,561. STOCK RAISING BEEF AND MUTTON. It is within living memory the circumstances attached to the arrival of live stock boats from the North Island which occurred at regular intervals at all the Coast ports up until about 10 years ago. Since then the Coast has produced ample live stock for all local j requirements and much to spare. Eol- 1 lowing the year 1915 there has been an j increasing export in fat cattle, sheep, iml lambs from this province, Canterbury being the market. For local con-, sumption approximately 1400 head are required annually. To this total a fur-. !her 1600 was exported from the province, making a grand total of 3000 bead for tlie year. Taking an average price of £l3 per head for that period a j sum of £39,000 was returned.. Cattle ■aising, however, is only in its primitive stages, but the figures quoted demonstrate that at the present rate of progress the quantity in ten years’ time hould he 6000 head of cattle or, 078,000. Tiiis Const lends itself in 1 every possible wav to cattle raising and with a systematic study of the herds suitable to our climate, should eventually prove the finest beef raising province in the Dominion. Graziers must sooner or later take up the policy of growing root crops lor topping off and fodder for winter feed. No doubt as lime goes on this will be resorted to. The breed of cattle doing well at prosent is the Shorthorn, for beef purposes, while the Hereford strain has made immense favour with many settlers. It is considered by good judges that this cross will eventually be the recognised beef strain for the province, in the Gisborne district, parts of the Waikato and Taranaki where the climate imp’ll resembles our own the Polled Angus is the favourite breed and should do well crossed with either of the above mentioned strains. At the 31st .January last year Westland had 10,498 dairy cattle and 30,063 beef cattle as against 164,420 and 357,906 respectively in Taranaki. SHEEP AND WOOL. In the light of the past five years no branch of the Dominions exports has played such an important part in finance as that of wool. In normal times llic value of wool exported is just onoliird of the value of the total exports of the Dominion. In 1919, 274,246,613 ills left these shores valued at C 19,559,537. Towards this amount Westland County contributed 1'11,281, i eing the return of 5.93 IDs, the average .’.eight of fleece from 38,*730 sheep, .lore again is an avenue that permits of enormous wealth for the province. The moist climate is most favourable to the Romney bred which produces an excellent all round fleece of wool, light in the grease, with good staple and lustre. As an example of what this class ol sheep has done the Messrs Condon Bros dip of wool in 1917 made a record price of 19(1 per lb, and the following year the Romney hogget wool of Mr Jno. Diedriohs made a New Zealand record of 2Ud per Hi for its class. The Romney will undoubtedly add much wealth to the future of the province and owing to the fact that Westland fleece wool loses less in the process of scouring than any other New Zealand grown wools it is much sought for by Home and Continental buyers. As to other breeds, little can be said—a few Soutlidowns are to lie met on some farms and where these are not met with mostly crossbreds are in evidence. This province should he easily capable of pasturing 200,000 sheep, shearing 1,000,000 lbs of of wool per annum which at pre-war prices would return a sum of £250,000 sterling. Assuming that the proportion of sheep was 75,000 breeding ewes with a lambing of 68% there cliould be an additional source of revenue in lambs of 51,000 which at pre-war prices would bring us in £15,000 stg. Note on the early breeds that made the Canterbury mutton and lamb ianiouv The Eronzeri Aleat Industry lias not so far penetrated Ibis province, but it is only a matter of time when tins wi'l be the case. A survey of the industry in the Dominion reveals that nil main ports along the Coast which possess good back country have freezing works thereat. For this purpose Bruce Bay should be an admirable centre for the establishing of freezing works which no doubt for the first year or two would l»e run without profit, but as in the case of Picton, Gisborne and Nelson once established they become a rapid means of inducing all kinds of settlers to forward their surplus of fat stock to the works. Even allowing for the early completion of the Otira Tunnel which will absorb a great deal of the fat stock north of the Waiho river, it must still lie borne in mind that with the progress and development of the far south there will, as time goes on, be an enormous quantity of fat stock produced off the .hundreds of thousands of acres in that territory which cannot lie railed to Canterbury. HIDES, SKINS. ETC. It must not he overlooked that in addition to the above principal items that bring revenue to the province there is also the matter of the by-pro-ducts such as hides, skins and tallow which would add considerably to the figures quoted and in proportion to that exported from other provinces our share of the total is approximately £IO,OOO stg., which is capable of considerable increase.

GENERAL ITEMS. Details of items such as Pltormium t fibre, bacon and hams, rabbit skins and { such like, have not been gone into, as at present the figures do not materially , affect the welfare of West-land, but they i are all capable of great increase and < would bring forward additional revenue. , Minerals other than gold and timber i have not been referred to as they are of sufficient importance to warrant a separate paper and in fact an evening’s instruction. STATISTICAL FIGURES. To enable those present to gauge some idea of the direction in which our staple products are moving from an export point of view I quote the following table giving the seven principal items ol export as at the close of the year 1919, i with their per eentage increase as compared with the year 1909. Value of principal exports for year 1919: — Wool £19,559,537 increased last V' | years by 140 per cent. „ I ' Frozen meat £9,628,292, increased I last 10 years by 253 per cent. • Cheese £7,790,990, increased last 10 years by 654 per cent. Hides, skins £3,439,468, increased last 10 years by 305 per cent. Butter £3,080,128, increased last 10 years by 170 per cent. Till low £2,680,006, increased hist 10 years by 355 per cent. Gold £1,334,405. decrease of 39 per cent. CONCLUSION. I Assuming that the province was proi ducing the products enumerated alKive, j there would he a sum of not loss than I £630,000 per annum coming in to our j coffers, and after very close observation I I I see no earthly reason whatever why that result cannot he attained. It is •j true that the people must enthuse eo»- ' siderably more than is the case at pre- •; scut, and encouragement for closer ■ settlement is due from the Government. 1 of the day. The province labours un- ' j dor it most serious disadvantage at pre- : sent itt its isolation, and also transport 'J facilities. These are the urgent works ! that the League must take in hand and • j with a united effort on the part of every ! person in the province it will only be a matter of another decade when our 'i exports will return ilint monetary value ! that is now being needed to replace the I rapidly decreasing output of gold. We ' shall then have merited the r.iange in ■j appellation from the “Golden’ to the ■j ‘• Prolific” West.