THE PUTARURU PRESS. Office Main Street ’Phone 28 – P.O. Box 44 (Lewis, Portas and Dallimore’s Buildings.) THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1926. PUTARURU SALEYARDS.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 147, 26 August 1926, Page 4

THE PUTARURU PRESS. Office Main Street ’Phone 28 - P.O. Box 44 (Lewis, Portas and Dallimore’s Buildings.) THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1926. PUTARURU SALEYARDS.

IT is gratifying to note in the report of the annual meeting of the Putaruru Saleyards Company, which appears in another column, that the interest in the meeting was outstanding. If such interest can be sustained and turned to practical account a much brighter future for this company should be assured. As things are at the moment there is little to enthuse over, and it is to be hoped that the directors will seize upon this apparently-new-born interest to put matters on a far more stable footing than they have been for some time past. There can be no question but that successful stock saleyards are a decided asset to a town, and as recriminations are but a waste of time and energy little can be gained by blaming any particular section of the community for the somewhat moribund state of the finances of the company. Notwithstanding this, some comment seems urgently necessary, for with administration expenses totalling over a. third of the gross income, and the loss for the past year being what it is, a forward move becomes imperative if the company is to remain solvent. Despite the unfavourable look of the balance-sheet, determined organisation should quickly alter the whole aspect. Without delving into details, it may be mentioned that though the company is suffering from lack of capital, two hundred and eleven shares of £5 each remain unallotted, and £122 in calls are in arrears. This jjosition is somewhat anomalous and deserves the immediate attention of the directors. It may be said that it is impossible to secure more capital owing to lack of support amongst business people of Putaruru. To a certain extent this may be true, but it must be remembered that any failure to secure additional capital from this source lies wholly at the door of the directors of the company. Indeed, in view of the present condition of the company’s finances, it is only asking business men to act the part of philanthropists to put money into this very precarious venture. Though it is an undisputed fact that the town gains some advantage from the proximity of the saleyards, it is after all mainly a concern for farmers, and this being so should receive their whole-hearted support. So long as farmers of the district do not support their own yards to the utmost of their ability, no matter how much capital may be advanced by the business community of the town, the result will be the same, for capital alone cannot create business. Foresight and energy applied to a carefully organised plan of campaign are essential if success is to be attained. This campaign should be directed to reach those for whom the yards were built, and if pursued with' persistence and energy, there should soon be little cause for complaint as regards lack of capital, if farmers remain loyal to themselves. So long as farmers drive stock past their own yards to other centres or sell their surplus in the paddock, so long will the local saleyards company iang‘uish.~~~UTrkiT-t-Ms loyalty is forthcoming and whole? hearted co-operation given, no progress worth noting will be made. The

sacrifice entailed is not a great one, when the saving of time and loss of condition in stock is considered. Not only that, but proximity to facilities such as saleyards, factories, etc., is also regarded as an asset when the valuation of a farm is under consideration. This is the aspect of the question which needs the serious consideration of the directors. The same situation has arisen in other centres and the difficulties have been met and overcome, and there seems to be no reason at all why a similar successful issue should not be attained in Putaruru. I

through such expedients as orders-in-council. In both theory and practice it is a" fine things to spread the government of a country over the whole of the people, functioning through various local bodies, but we have to be ever on our guard lest this freedom be turned into slavery by the introduction of more and more stringent regulations by the State, giving this and that Minister and State board power of veto. Local bodies are aware of the trend of things, and rightly jealous of their powers, and every now and then a member gives expression to his views in such a downright way as to permit of the inference that this question of State versus Local Body control may some day become a strong political issue, for example, only last Friday, during the course of the monthly meeting of the Matamata County Council at Tirau, Cr. E. J. Darby exclaimed: “This country is steadily but surely drifting under bureaucratic control, and we have got to watch and keep this aspect of things in view.” Cr. Darby hit the nail on the head that time, and his remark reminds one of the outburst by a southern chairman of a county council, who stated that the time was coining when these State departments would have to run all local affairs themselves, for local body members were simply becoming the tools of State departments, to do the work for officials, and bear the responsibility without being entrusted with authority.

Cr. S. H. Judd gave a very glaring example when he told how in his district telephone lines on private property had to be put underground when the 111,000 volt power line was erected, also on private property without much consideration for the convenience or feelings of owners. To add insult to injury, the P. arid T. Department had the effrontery to send accounts to the owners of the telephone line for £5 and £6 to pay J for the placing of the telephone Wires underground on the settlers’ own property!

Freedom is the most precious thing in life, and is the primary great essential for individual and national growth, and we must fight to retain it in full vigour, ‘otherwise we will become impotent and dwarfed, instead of powerful, progressive and of the full stature of manhood.