THE FARM.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4298, 1 August 1921, Page 3

THE FARM.

THE BUBBLE BURST. THE DRIED MILK TRAGEDY. It has come at last, as we always said it would. Dried milk is quoted to-day at three and a-half pence per pound, practically the cost of production (remarks the New Zealand Dairyman). What this means to the Waikato is plain. It is nothing more oi’ less than a tragedy, and, like, all monetary tragedies, it has come at the worst possible time. J Something like half a million of money has been spent in this one district, and even if dried milk falls to one penny per pound, or if the factories have to close down, the interest on the borrowed half million will have to be paid. It is, as we have said, a tragedy. It has come about, too, in spite of all- warnings. From the very inception of the scheme, a constant cry of “go slow’’ has been raised by the “Dairyman;’ and others, but all to no avail. Given that small amount of knowledge usually said ;to be dangerous, the pioneers of this industry persisted in rushing on, and now they have the deluge. Even in the most favoured part of the Dominion a handicap of half a million on one small district would be a crushing blow, but in a district like the-Waikato it is a distinct calamity. The question is, how will .the burden be spread? Will all the suppliers in the biggest dairy combination in the Empire be mulct for the money, or will the burden fall on the few farmers in the districts immediately concerned? We await an answer to this question with interest. If the answer is in the affirmative to the first query, then it is easily seen it means disruption forthwith. Even a turnover of foui’ millions could not long stand a tax such as the interest on half a million. Already we learn that one section of the suppliers have asked to be released, and a scheme for a home separator factory that will handle the milk of 2000 cows is already on the tapis, while it is likely others will follow. We notice that one of the victim companies has issued soine paid-up shares as part payment of some portion of last year’s butter-fat, but these paid-up shares will be comparatively expensive and very useless stationery. The paid-up shares will not pay the share-milk-ers; they will not pay the interest on the mortgage, or the grocer’s bill. The whole blunder was due to the fact that there was nothing new in the dried milk idea. Milk has been dried by bakers and confectioners for ages. We dried quite some quantity ourselves fifty years ago—buttermilk, skim-milk, and new milk —but at the prices of those days the demand for manufactured goods of this class was small. Another drawback is that dried milk is a troublemaker. To-day the only class of goods that will find a ready market is one that is a trouble saver. One clever, brainy American, whose name is given to one of the best methods of'drying milk, has spent some forty thousand pounds in booming this product, but with little avail. No better prospects awaits the New Zealand exploiter. On the whole, it is a sad business, much to be regretted.

FORWARD, OF COURSE.

“Where do we go from here?” is the question farmers everywhere are asking. Some folks are looking backward, as if they thought that was the only way to go under present conditions.

The gi’eat body of farmer folks however, are not looking that way. “Where do we go from here? Why, forward, of course! That is the way we always have been going. We will not begin now to take the backward trail.” And that is right. Forward to a year of greater endeavour than any we have ever faced before. Forward to finer stock. Forward to more intensive cultivation of our lands. Forward in new and improved methods of marketing and distributing farm produce. Forward in farm and home improvement. 'Above all, forward in everything that relates to thrift, enterprise and good citizenship. It is the time for courage, for great planning and stout-hearted counsel one with another. It takes storms to make rainbows. Meadow and field look greener after they/ have been swept by the tempest. From here we go to the best there is. The signal is set wr us in the tower. We have the right of way. Now let’s be off!