KING COUNTRY INDUSTRIES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 470, 1 June 1912, Page 5

KING COUNTRY INDUSTRIES.

MOVEMENT FOR FREEZING WORKS. KAWHIA HARBOUR ADVOCATED. The question of the establishing of a freezing works in the King Country in the near future was referred to at the annual meeting of the King Country Central A. and P. Association on Wednesday night. Exception was taken by all the speakers to the manner in which producers were treated in the Auckland market. There was no stablity about it and it was apparently subject to the operation of one or two large firms. The chairman, Mr R. M. Somerville, in speaking on the subject, referred to the fact that in all other districts stock had a standard value which was realisable at any time. At Auckland such was not the case, and all the farmers he had talked with in this district had suffered by it. They had no confidence in sending stock to the Auckland market and it was quite nlain there never would be a satisfactory Auckland market until conditions were materially altered. The feeling was very firm in ths district t.iat the time had arrived when a move should be made towards getting a local freezing works established to serve the Waikato and King Country. He thought a good centre would be Frankton or Te Kuiti.

Mr G. Berry said he fully endorsed the remarks concerning the Auckland market and the necessity for settlers to have a freezing works of their own established. He disagreed entirely with the proposal to have a freezing works established on the railway and strongly advocated Kawhia as the natural"centre for such an industry. A freezing works could be erected in a suitable position alongside deep water and stock could be loaded from the works directly into the steamers. Continuing, Mr Berry referred to the fact that a railway from Kawhia to the Main Trunk was certain to be constructed, but it was quite unnecessary to wait for that to eventuate before going in for the freezing works. At present much stock went from this district to Waitara works, and it was a hard three days' drive over bad roads to get there. If the roads to Kawhia from the various parts of the district were properly made it would be a very f asy two days' drive from the furthest part of the district through good easy country all the way. He strongly urged the opening up of the roads to Kawhia pointing out, that Kawhia was bound to become the port of the district.

Other members spoke in the same vein, pointing out that the experience they had had of the Auckland markets was inevitably driving settlers to protect their own interests by establishing markets elsewhere. Major Lusk questioned the remarks of some of the speakers and referred to the work done by the Farmers' Union in establishing a Trading Association at Auckland. As a result the farmers of the Auckland province had benefited materially. The Farmers' Union was also prepared to protect 'settlers and see that they got reasonable and fair markets for their stock.

The members agreed that the Farmers' Union had done good work, but the general opinion expressed was that the Union could not alter existing conditions which rendered Auckland an undesirable market.