The Manawatu Standard. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. WEDNESDAY JUNE 17. 1885. DAIRY FACTORIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 16, 17 June 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. WEDNESDAY JUNE 17. 1885. DAIRY FACTORIES.

The Hawera star m a recent article m reference to the proposed establishment of three dairy factories m that district, refers to an objecLtipjL which has been raised by store- | keepers and tradesmen to- the efv feet that [they do; not feel bound to-support the project, because it is a matter which concerns farmers, and that the latter will reap the profits if any are made. The statement reminds one of the good old fable of >* the- belly and the members," when the latter refused to support i such an idle part of the riody. For, inasmuch as dairy factories arc beI ing started with a view to farmers making more money out of their land than by simple grazing, it follows that if the system is successful I (and it has had ample trial elsewhere m New Zealand), then the farmers will derive greater' profits and the tradespeople will be able to >do more business. Town and'eountry are so intimately connected that what benefits the one benefits the other; though if the argument were pushed to an extremity, m can,-, scarcely' Jbe deji fed that the producer could still exist m a s^mi-savage state wn.hput the aid of distributers; supposing he. only grew enough meat, corn, and wool to feed and clothe himself. But modern' jc?vilised life., looked at aright, is only possible,/ iby a co-operation of all classes ; and hence it comes that, as a rule and m the long run, what benefits one class benefits the lot, for are they not all members ;of one political and social body ? Mr Bowuon, m his report to Parliament, pufs the case thus:

The farmers who supplied Edendale Factory with milk during- thirty-two weeks reared a number of calves, and their milk value was £6 10s, and they do not hesitate to say that their cows are of an inferior description. Take the report of the Ashburton Factory : Here the farmer received 3d per gallon for his milk ; the average quantity for each cowwas 418 gallops ; and to this the Sunday _ ; milk and the-:. milk' kept at home three 'weeks beftire the- factory opened-and six weeks after it closed, ''and the value of each cow was £6. 185. 6 d. It -would not be difficult to show that her value was not. less, : t.haa-£7'-los. Then take : 'tlfe Hamilton Factory, Waikato. The factory was at work eight, months, and the farmers received 4d per gallon for their milk ; m every case the* value of a cow depends upon its merits as a milker, and the farmer's judgment m its selection. The average value of Captain ' Steele's dairy is £8 2s 9^d ; the captain stated the value of his cows to be not less than £10. Mr Coates, who supplied the factory with milk, received £7 7s 2£d. He adds the Sunday milk kept at home produced butter which sold for £20 ; this added £1 5s to each cow, which brought up the average to £8 12s 2^d. Any farmer, looking at these figures, will see clearly that the moat inferior cow will make more money m thirty weeks than a bullock will make m four years, at least at the prices we witnessed m Taranaki and Gisborne. ' ■ , .1> v ■ Our contemporary proceeds to remark that admitting the. correctness of the facts stated, and it is scarcely possible to question them, surely it ,< stands to reason that the result of dairy 'factories if .well managed will be to increase feh.e ;s ißme|u^ o*fc«shderived from the land, and this will surely increase the returns of those who specially devote themselves to a cash business. It will also tend to increase the population of '(he district. One man can look after the beeves on a farm of from 200 to 500 ; acres, and do most of the necessary labor attached to drafting, fence-re-pairing, and the like. But a farm of that size devoted chiefly to dairying and carrying, say one cow to every tyro acres, vould require th« attention of from 5 to 15 paid hands •t least, allowing 20 'cows to each man. There is now a good deal of dairying done m this district, go much coin fact that many of the storekeepers gv«r that they receive more butter and cheese than cash for their goods during the summer time. Much ,qf the butter is inferior, and if good butter of certain and unvarying quality is to be made the factory system is the safest, if not the only way to ensure its being good. If the townspeople desire to see more people and more money circulating m th« district, and at the same time to improve the quality of the buttsr and cheese made, so that it shall all be good enough to b» profitably exported, they cannot do better than assist the factory movement. We do not anticipate that all these, benefits are to be reaped at once. In all probability mistake! made: in the first two or three years will absorb all profits ; first-class managers cannot be picked up at a moment's notice, nor can a J>erd of ;good dairy cows be got together m less than two or three years. But , the system is worth a trial; there ars at present factories at Eijen^^le. Oamaru, Temuka^ Ashburton, Wanganui, Grey town, Carterton, Pukekohe, Te Awamutu, Paterangi, Waikato, Hamilton, Kati Kati, Geraldine, VVoodville, Gisborne, and others- Fourteen have beefy managed by companies, five by private gentlemen, during 1884). This number shows that people have confidence m the system, and mean to give it a fair trial. We had hoped ere this to have been m a position to chronicle the

establishment of another, or perhaps two more dair* factories m this district. We sti'l hope that eventual-, ly our anticipations will be realised. We are firmly assured that, however tcthe shareholders; the pioneer factory has turned out. there areXo more material factors to a districts^ substantial prosperity than these in&itutions. >Ye shall w fitch with considerable interest tliertesUlts attending ihe establishment of; the factories now m process of inauguration m the P.awera District.