The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, February 11, 1915. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1359, 11 February 1915, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, February 11, 1915. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Thk Palmerston N. Chamber of Commerce is nothing if not wideawake to the main chance. To the members of this august body the sun rises and sets for Palmerston alone. Palmerston is the hub ; roads, bridges, district settlements, railways, etc., for miles around, are as spokes, joints and tyre to this important centre. The Chamber holds the Dominion record for the number of deputations it forwards to wear out Ministerial door mats. Indeed, they have become commonplace. At a meeting of the Chamber held this week, the railway time-table in respect to the New Plymouth section, as it affected the Chamber in particular, and Palmerston in general, was discussed. It was stated by one member that under the new running the train arrived at Palmerston at 12 noon instead of 11.25, as previously, Palmerston demanded an earlier connection with Wellington. Del all other districts go hang ! This latter sentence parenthetically, of course. Another member had scanned the time-table and, 10, he had discovered it erred in many respects, and he proceeded to mention one or two examples. “Referring the meeting to page 36 of the time-table, the speaker pointed out that it was shown that the Auckland express arrived in Palmerston North at 11.18, but there was no mention of the time of departure. The same applied to the arrival of the Main Trunk express in the afternoon !” What a discovery lo be sure, and how short-sighted of the Chamber to set up a sub-committee to enquire into it. Another member fairly exploded with indignation because a page of the time-table was not devoted to Palmerston’s train arrivals and departures 1 Then he came down to a vulgar item of appetite! “The mid-night Main Trunk express arrived in Wellington at 6.20 a.m., and one had to kick their heels around Wellington for two hours icaiinig for breakfast." Hock der Kaiser ! Again he burst forth--this time a reference to his shattered nerves: “In some carriages the windows rattled and blinds were missing, while doors would not hold.” Probably the Massey Government still in office has caused a nervous strain. Then be had a whack at the bad roads which diverted business from Palmerston, and the postal service was made mincemeat of. It had actually taken three days to get an answer to a letter from a seaside resort. The Palmerston Chamber of Commerce is falling from grace !

Tilk Ashhurst Co-operative Dairy Co. has received the pleasing news that a consignment of their cheese realised S6s per cvvt at Home. Just fancy 86s per cwt. No wonder milk suppliers preler to supply the lactial fluid to cheese factories instead of butter factories. Mr McDonald, who has cheese factories at Tiakitahuna, Rangiotu and Bainesse and one practically assured at Himatangi, says that he will erect a cheese factory in the heart of Foxton provided 500 cows ate guaranteed within a three-mile radius of the town. This is a chance for the small dairy farmer. It should not be a difficult matter to secure this guarantee and the price paid for butter fat is in excess by 2d and 3d per lb of that paid for butter production. If the small farmer class are wise they will get busy, call a meeting and confer with Mr McDonald. A cheese factory in our midst means added prosperity to the town.