Page 2 Advertisements Column 5

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4553, 20 April 1923, Page 2

(Published by Arrangement.) HAURAKI PLAINS FARMERS LOSING MONEY! AjU,. ■ BETTER SHIPPING FACILITIES URGENTLY NEEDED. For many years past farmers throughout the length and breadth of the Hauraki Plains have been—to use a popular expression—paying through the nose, in freight charges—railage and transhipping—on their produce to Auckland. They have indeed been losing money. Unfortunately there has been in the past, and there still is, no means of having the produce of the Plains destined for overseas markets consigned to the port of departure, other than by railage to Auckland. Auckland now is a very busy and congested port, and also an expensive one. Apart from these facts, it must also be taken into consideration the fact that the distance by rail from the centre of the Hauraki Plains—taking Te Aroha as the centre —is about 120 miles. Consider the enormous saving which would be effected were it possible for farmers on the Plains to have their produce shipped from a port close at hand. The distance from the same given centre (Te Aroha) to Thames, the nearest port, is only 28 miles. Of course, it is at present impossible to have overseas produce shipped at Thames, as the existing harbour has not a sufficient depth of water to allow any oversea vessel to enter. However, Mr Blair Mason, probably the most eminent harbour engineer in Australasia, has stated authoritatively that with an improvement scheme costing at the outside £60,000, a sufficient depth pf water can be secured to allow overseas vessels of the same size as those at present berthing at New Plymouth and Castlecliff (Wanganui) to enter with ease. A poll asking for the sanction of the ratepayers in the Harbour area to the jaising of the Loan will be taken on the 26th of the month, and all thinking and progressive voters will support the proposal, it has been, of course, necessary to assess a very small rate, but ONLY as security for the loan. It is well understood by everybody that financial concerns lending out money must, have some: security as a safeguard. Tp this casei. although a rate has been asssesed, it will probabl NOT be necessary to> collect one fraction pf a penny of it. Other N.Z. ports, such as Wanganui and New Plymouth and others, have raised very much larger loans, and have NOT FOUND IT NECESSARY TO COLLECT ANY RATE AT ALL. Progressive and thinking ratepayers, who are possessed of any vision at all, will vote only one way on the - 26‘h. and that will be— FOR THE PROPOSAL. For Children’s Hacking Cough, ■Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure..