WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

EXPORT OF EGOS

(Special to “Guardivi”.) AVELLTXGTON, April 27. Monsieur 10. Alexandre, a Frenchman, closely associated with the egg trade of London and Paris lias been in New Zealand during the past three months studying the conditions and possibilities of the egg export trade of the Dominion. Ju the course of an interview, M. Alexandre said that before landing in New Zealand he was told that the trade was in its infancy, and since making inquiries he had come to the conclusion that it was suffering from infantile paralysis. Through the good ofliees of .Mr Brown, the Chief Government Poultry Expert he met quite a uuml>cr of poultry farmers with whom lie discussed matters. lie found these men to be very good poultry farmers, but they appeared to have very vague notions of the marketing end of the proposition. Each, one .pretended to know more and be better informed than the other, fellow, and apparently persona! jeab ousics counted for a great deal in the struggle between egg circles, agents

and individual poultry farmers

stated that in one town in the Alimawatu where the egg output was cumpara lively small there were two egf circles, and an agent competing will each other. The true eo-operativ: spirit appeared to be lacking and yet with eo-oerative effort rigidly applied the export of eggs from X.Z. he thinkwould grow into a vast and pnditabh trade. Britain imports annually egg. l to the value of £IS.OO'J.O!K) and X.Z.’* share of this just now is ro presentee by the insignificant sum of Cl 5.000. il appeared to him that the so-called cooperative concerns were tied up to hi;, linns and their system of handling tin eggs appeared to he more rxpensivi than it should he. In Ins opinim some of the agents were rather bin dering the. export ol eggs by prelcr ling to sell surplus eggs as egg pulp M. Alexandre thinks there is greai scope for the industry, hut the soilin. organisation must be perfected, per sonnl jealousies and animosities mus be eliminated and the* true principle of co-operation applied, lie urges tie poultry farmers to continue the grad jug of eggs for export, and consider: that some minor improvements conk be introduced to advantage. He siig gests grading eggs mb only into on. or two uniform si/.es, but also in re sped to the even weight of crates say 14, Id. or lfilh. per crate, and no in crates of 1 1:[ or Hit lb. as was tin ease last season. M. Alexandre ba left New Zealnnd for Australia when he will investigate the possibilities o the export trade- of tliaL country. THE NORTHLAND TUNNEL. This insignificant piece of municipa enterprise has sutliriently acquiree considerable notoriety throughout tin country owing to the attitude ndoptci by the Labour Tarty. This tunnel i a comparatively small one and was nil dertakeu when there was a fai amount of unemployment in the city The piercing of the tunnel was under dertakeu by the City Council by da\ labour, and the work proceeded nlon< satisfatorilv until bail country win met with when there was trouble. Ihi Labour Parly, beaded by AH' I? Semple and other stormy petrels ol thi Labour ranks, started in to find fault with the work ostensibly in the. in-

terests of the ratepayers, but really in the interests of Semple and his tunnelling parly. It will be rememhered that the Orougorongo tunnel in connection with Wellington’s watei supply was let to a number of cooperative timuellers headed by Mr Semple. The job was not let by contract. but was given to Ihe party at its i/.vn price. The work was admittedly well done and was put through in fair lime, bill it cost something-

ecst more than it should have done for it. is alleged that the lucky tun

lu lling party cleared over £2OOO per man. and naturally they are hungering for more municipal jobs. It C stated that Semple and his parlv ollcrcd to construct the Northland tunnel, hut the oiler was turned down because

the City Council was endeavouring to find work for men unemployed. Now the Semole faction is finding fault with the work in the hope that Hie ratepayers will become so disgusted that they will insist on a reversion in the system adopted in connection with the Orougorongo tunnel. Ibe CG> Council ( outeinplales constmet ing another tunnel to conned, llalaitai with the. city. Thi:; will be a big job. almost as big as the waterworks job. and Semple and his friends nre after this job. The city Council will Id composed of new men alter I lie elections. and if the majority ol the members belong to the Labour Party, the Semple Parly will no donl.l secure the job on their own lerms. but. il the Labour Party is in a minority in the new Council, il, is probable that lenders will be called, and various parties of cu-operativc tunncllers invited to tender for the job and give an undertaking that it will be carried through without any strikes "or other delays.