The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY. JANUARY 8th 1923. A CENTRAL DAIRY FACTORY.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1923, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY. JANUARY Bth 1923. A CENTRAL DAIRY FACTORY.

Now that there is a movement atoot lo rebuild the dairy laetoiy at Kokatahi, as also a pioposnl to ere: t a dual plant factory at Koiterangi, (he time is perhaps opportune to consider the advisability of erecting a icntral dairyfactory adjacent to or in the town of Hokitika to serve the whole district. Tn South Hokitika and the AfaliinapunTotnra district dairying is tnkng a hold and it should he possible to tap the Kokatahi-Tyhterangi district*. while the Arahura district, already served hv a local factory, might consider the advisability of linking up wth a central scheme if it wore possible to dispose of the present plant 4 - any advantage. In view of the i mt that dairying is contemplated at Wokeka, Rruee Bay anil Okuru. the satisfactory sale of any plants it is desired to discard, might he possible, which would leave the way open for the central project to be taken up more gene'rnlly. The Advantage.* of n central

factory me apparent. There would he a great saving in management, and .-oner; 1 control. In other centres tinidea oi ecu 11 a lisa t ion is, working' on

. ell. Hull co-operative and private ownership manage to do well ill Gr,-y----mont i viih (Cntr l lacte.ries. while in such centres as Christchurch, there are

several central factories working the , suburban and country residents for i many miles out. Motor 1 1 action assists greatly to the success ol the cenl tral system, and in Canterbury | aitieularly, it is being worked on a very large and extensive scale, to the mutual satisfaction of all comcrned. flic facilities for through railway transit shortly to he possible will 'Tt-atc a new order oi tilings in many departments of trading and production, and dairy- ■ iitg in common with oilier industries • should he brought into line, it till’ p!‘U- ' (Incurs can do so to advaniage. The mill,lei 1 is one well worth taking up. and | the A. and p. Association. »s being t directly connected with agricultural and pastoral pursuits, might well take the matter up in a public wav. If a gene- • ral public meeting were called to disi cuss the matter, it would be a step in the light direction. It, should be pos- ‘ rtiblo to secure the attendance of an ' experienced officer ol tlie Agricultural Department to give advice in regard to 1 various aspects of the central idea. ' which should in the end succeed here !as it is doing elsewhere. Tile central ' factory would be a useful adjunct for , the town, establishing a local industry |on a sound basis. There would he facilities for retail trading in butter, ! cheese, cream and ice, that are now not possible and this class of retail ; trading could he a very profitable slde- ] line of the undertaking. The popui lat.ion hereabouts " ill increase from j now on. while flu- flow ot casual Visi - : tors will be larger, all will he steady ; consumers of Commodities which a local | factory would he turning out, and the ! trade would he a valuable one in the aggregate. 'Whether the project should ] he on the lines of it co-operative eon- , corn among the suppliers of the district j or a private company catering for the ! local cream and milk supply, and paying on the best market rates, would lie ; for the public meeting to decide, ftrt ] the movement is one which would he i in the genera! interests, and is worth I going into carefully by those Itest qunbi bed to take up the matter in the (crests of the farming community. For | that reason the matter is now eom- • mended to the A. and P. Afisocfatfoii , for definite action to ascertain the , wishes of the producers and likely nnL- , lie contributors.