The West Coast Farmers’ Lime Producing Co. Ld.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 May 1924, Page 1

The West Coast Farmers’ Lime Producing Co. Ld.

SECRETARY’S RETORT. On AVcdnesday night, April 9th. in Ross wo were unfortunately visited by a regular typhoon. It seemed as though a cloud had burst when we viewed tlie scene of havoc wrought at the lime works. A slip had dammed up the creek near the kiln and when ihe weight of water was sufficitnt to lorco the slip down,the road the whole mass moved everything before it. The repairs have now been effected and the staff are busy on tlie annual overhaul. The stripping above the quarry lias been taken in band so that when the rush, of orders sets in during the Spring months we will be better prepared to handle it.

In. connection with the subsidy to South Westland farmers on the carriage of lime and fertilisers which wc are asking the Department of Agriculture for, I have to report visiting AYataroa, Hariliari and Waitalia. The meetings "ere well attended by the settlers and the secretary of . the several branches of the Farmers’ Union were instructed to write to. the Hon. Nosworthy asking for a subsidy to AYataroa of 30s per ton, to Ifarihnri 2-5 s per ton and to AYaitaha 20s per ton. AA’hcn you consider that jess than .50 tons of lime per year In's been carried as far as AA’atnriWj that the ordinary carriage of goods thence is £! per toil (and only reduced to £3 per ton when taken as hack loading). On the other hand farmers north of Ross served by the railway can get six ton trucks of lime delivered 100 miles away from Ross for the cost of railage on their empty sacks and charge for the use of tarpaulins amountng to os per truck. Don’t you think that the backblork settlers should got hack some of the rates and taxes which they pay as regularly as ihe man served by the railway, in ihe shape of a subsidy s:> that land to-day worth, say, £2O per acre can Ihe improved until it is worth, say. £lO per acre. South Westland farmers who are progressive enough are faced with the stumping, ploughing, discing and manuring of their land, otherwise they must just hang on until they go west, when some one more progressive after their death will have to take up the duty of making two blades of grass grow where none grew before. This subsidy i.s not for the benefit of the rich farmer., but for the poor man with a small area and a herd of cows to feed. 1 only had one objection to the subsidy and found out afterwards he and hj.s family had acres of land running into four figures, lie could fell oO or 100 acres per year and get all the new grass he required, not being a factory supplier. 1 found a different type of man in one who has his head screwed on right. The farm he bought had not lieen sown down in grass since the bush was burned off it some twenty years lie slumped it, ploughed it, and put iii a crop of white and -Mile lupins for green manure. At the time of my visit” the tidiest of the lupins was 33 inches and the shortest was about 21 inches. In a few days he ploughed this in and sowed it down in grass. Aon all know what result to expect and T wish some ol bis neighbours will take ,i lesson by it and follow his leading. Owing to tin? high cost of carriage he only put in lOewt of lime and 2cwt of superphosphates to the acre. On every hand I was told that if they got the subsidy on the carriage of lime out difficult v would he to supply all their requirements. This is going to he tl'.e trouble during the coming season with only one kiln capable of turning out .50 tons per week of burnt lime. At the present time the fire in the kiln is out owing to tin l hold-up lately of the railway service and as we have only 70 tons ot orders on hand ve do not foul disposed to light up until we have about 2u‘J tons of orders in sight. At the present time we are accepting orders from non-shareholders, but wlien tlie rush is on in the Spring it is only just that the shareholder!* should be served I'nst. Shareholders can hook their dates for delivery up to December 2,lst and any dates not secured b.v shareholders will he open to non-share-holders who apply.

in my next report 1 hope to he able to give you some good news about a i lrving plant lor eaihouale ol lime. \\'e "ill not need then to depend upon the sunshine lo dry the stone before goiny through the crusher and pulveriser.