TO THE FARMERS AND SETTLERS OF THE HUTT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 55, 10 February 1872, Page 7

TO THE FARMERS AND SETTLERS OF THE HUTT.

PEK FAVOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. The writer having recently observed a brief newspaper paragraph to the effect that you had been obtaining so poor a price for your dairy produce as to induce you to cease using the milk for such purposes, and to be giving it to your pigs, and knowing that such a state of things must be very trying to all, and even ruinous to some, I thus (so fur as a single letter will admit of) venture to discuss the matter with you. If I were amongst you I would try to promote further ventilation thereon, and to arouse you to united action, in order to bring about a better state of things. I have visited your district occasionally since the year 1843, and the impression left on my mind, after a hasty trip through, late in 1870, is that you cannot turn the district, in its present state, to better account than crazing dairy cattle ; bat that you need to do ivith spirit. It is a well-known fact that throughout the colonies the practical settlers in every district form a mixture from such various portions of the old countries', composing Great Britain, the Continent of Europe, &c, that a vast diversity in the management of their respective callings naturally exists—whilst a large portion of the non-practieal colonists are more or less guided in their operations by the example of one or other of their more practical neighbors—and but few of the most practical have appliances calculated to render success even probable. It is a fact, which close observation discloses, that failure amongst practical colonists may generally be traced to the want of sufficient capital to secure the necessary appliances to enable them to keep pace with the improvements of the period we live in, as also to produce in sufficient quantities and to ripen their produce to a marketable state so as to be capable of competing in the markets of the world. So that at present the production of a good article is an exception instead of a rule ; and the consequence of that want of uniformity, deficiency in quality and want of keeping capabilities so generally observable, is that merchants cannot ship it, and the producer has to rely upon local storekeepers to take his produce, which, as a matter of course, is chiefly done by barter, and at figures very unremunerative to the producer ; and yet the storekeeper is not one whit to blame, for he could not take it at all, except in the way of trade, insuring a profit on his own goods, and making the produce of the best makers cover some of the risks of the bad—for assort and pack it as he may, he will have some altogether unsaleable, and but little that he can with confidence recommend ; never being able to make up a quantity that would warrant the use of his own brand, consequently he can rarely sell except when some stray dealer sees an op3ning to take advantage of a chance market. And out of that sort of customer your storekeeper will not get a living profit. Now the capabilities of our adopted country are not done justice to, and we all, either directly or indirectly suffer, for we import much provision that we ought not to want, and on the other Ave actually waste large quantities, _ which, if properly prepared, might realize considerable money, for there are plenty of markets open and others frequently opening, in which the merchants of your province would soon find,'a demand, provided you produced articles to equal the products of other countries which have an established name. And, I ask, why is it that bacon, hams, cheese, &c, the produce of Britain, is so much prized and commands so high a price here, when, if properly prepared, a large amount of similar produce would be saleable at remunerative prices, in the very markets we import from. This seems one of the most stupid inconsistencies, for it cannot be denied that we have several leading points in our favor, enough at any rate to render our chance of success equal to the occupants of any other country. How strange, then, that we are too stolid to avail ourselves of the advantages we possess. To attempt to instruct individually a community so composed, so as to ensure uniformity of action, and secure equality in their produce, would be labor in vain (like fighting a shadow). No impression could be made. I have thought much on the subject with the object of helping to get into a better state a country in which I have a large family to settle, and generally to aid in securing pros perity to us all. The result of that thought is a tborough conviction, that it will only be •affected by a combination of both the capital and energy of neighboring settlers—without that I opine it may be given up as a bad job. Why is it that Canterbur}' cheese is now quoted at3-|d per lb in Christchurch ? We say it principally because the article is so variable in quality and is pushed into the market in an unripe state, i.e., before it is capable of undergoing the changes of temperature and various rough usages to which it is subjected. Some of such cheese might fairly compete with English if it had proper age, aud care, and was sent into market in a proper state. Dairy produce and bacon and ham factories are now at work in various countries; in America (where the population were promiscuously pitched together, as we have been here) there are several, and are becoming a necessity amidst a population so variously composed, some of them are on a large scale,

having railways branching into their works. We do not need to do things so extensively at present, but we must adopt the system of co-operation, or rather combination, or fall altogether into ruin. A company for such purpose is now organised at Tokomairiro, in Otago, and as a practical man, knowing the capabilities of most, of the adjicent colonies, and nearly every part of this country, the writer claims the priviledge to express a sanguine opinion that such works, established by companies (chiefly composed of producers) on the limited liability principle, might be successfully inaugurated in many portions of New Zealand : for some districts they are especially advisable, and I am further of opinion that the Lower Hutt is much in reed of it; with the exception of limited areas it is not adapted for sheep, and therefore nothing would so contiibute to restore it to somewhat of its prestine state, as spirited working of dairy cattle ; and if the settlers of the Hutt (throwing aside the petty jealousies, if any, usually floating in limited communities; put their shoulders to the wheel to set such an institution in motion, I feel assured they would not repent it, They would insure the best market for their produce, and if the shareholders did not receive a retail price for their milk, they would reap in dividends the fullest value. They would only have to deliver their milk at a given price, and therefore have the greater portion of their time in which to cultivate and prepare some winter food, &c, and they might be allowed to subscribe some portion of their shares in raw produce. If any of you doubt as to justice being secured in the working, I may tell you that all milk is tested, as to its genuineness, on arrival at the works, and any attempted deception could not escape detection, and everything would be under the eye of a local committtee or directors. I should advise the keeping of pigs not far from the dairy works, with a curing branch adjacent ; these would work well together, and this branch i 3 about equal in importance to the other while being worked under one management; and the cost of each branch would fall lightly. Quality and equality must howevever be your motto if success is to be attained, and to accomplish this you must have a proper establishment and suitable appliances throughout, so that you can regulate the temperature and carry out every branch effectively. This done, uniformity may be secured, and then a brand may be safely adopted, and your produce not only command a sale throughout our own centres of population but in several distant markets. In other words, the imports of such articles would cease and considerable exports take the place thereof. Your land, cattle, and labor would then yield you a profit. Details are at present unnecessary ; under any circumstances space would forbid any present attempt in that direction.

I am living at too great a distance to be able to see any strictures or queries, but I trust you will ventilate the subject amongst yourselves, and if any of you wish to communicate with the writer, Mr M'Kenzie, proprietor of the Independent, will kindly furnish you with the address.—l am, &c, Ktjsticus.