THE TAHANAKI FREEZING WORKS COMPANY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 191, 15 August 1900, Page 3

THE TAHANAKI FREEZING WORKS COMPANY.

TO I*"* 1 - EDITOB, . Sre,—On my return from Wellington, my attention was called to a letter appearing in your Thursday's issue, written.by Mr. J. G. Harkness, in which he says he cannot allow statements made by me at the annual meeting of the Freezing Company, to pass without comment. He says "taking the smaller evil first, Mr. Connett stated the prosperity of the district was largely due to the Freezing Works" (which is the evil, that the district is prosperous, or that it is claimed to be largely due to the Freezing Works) whatever the cause, I think we all

agreed that the district is prosperous, if that is an evil, let us hope for more of it. I know it is sometimes said that prosperity is not good for us, but most of us prefer it all the same. I gave my opinion for what it is worth of course, Mr. Harkness has an equal right to his opinion. The other matter Mr. Harkness. says, is of more import-

ance, he says." Mr. Connett said he was sorry tq see settlers in the district so blind to their own interests as to be led into passing a resolution the effect of which would be to deprive them of the credit of the produce ef their own district," and further on in his letter, he says, we should still have the credit and reminds me that butter sold locally on this coast etc., is credited to New Plymouth; that is no argument, the butter knot stored in Wellington, but the cheese will be, that makes all the difference, and I have it from good authority in Wellington that cheese steed there, will be considered and

treated as Wellington exports. As for my acknowledging it an evil that batter and cheese should go from here to Wellington in the same hold. I have had some experience, and do not consider the slightest damage has ever' been done, or is likely to be in the future, but the Association appearing to think otherwise, I will use my best endeavours to have the cheese carried separately when possible. Mr. Harkness next says the Freezing Company charge 2s per cwt. on cheese, he made a slight mistake it is 2s per ton a fraction over Id per cwt. He next gays " Mr. Connett now announces that Isbe charge is not to be levied on ana after theTJt§f QptfcbeS; 1900.!,';; in this is it notafact that the l A«6ciStiori i - x has TaranaMTreezing_Company, tiat this result of those negotiations-the has been discontinued. Mr. Connett (Iste iatei:3letterlMi:::HarkßesSoeor.-

ness, it is not a fact, so I could not forget it. The Agricultural Department have never suggested the chaige should be discontinued, it was voluntary on the part of the Directors, it is no new thing this reducing charges at the commencement of the season, we have, made reductions in other directions previously, the chaige on cheese being the only one remaining we decided to abolish it also, thus making both butter and cheese free of all charges to the shippers, although there is a large amount of work done for them and the railage and wharfage paid for them when required (and collected later) not a penny of interest being charged for the time we are out of our money. Mr. Harkness next says 2s percwt. would be saved (I presume he means 2s per ton) by sending cheese to Wellington to be stored, that is strange, there would be wharfage, and cartage from the ship to the store and back again to the ship, my experience of Wellington is they certainly do not do all that for nothing. I think it will be found someone will have to pay for it. Then is Mr. Harkness aware that the cheese would be stored in Wellington in an ordinary cellar subject to all changes of temperature, as against a specially prepared chamber at Moturoa, where it is kept at an even temperature of forty-five degreesl Mr. Harkness next says: "If Mr. Connett is honestly anxious to promote the dairy industry, why did he not attend the annual meeting of the National Dairy Association at Stratford and discuss the question there ? He was invited to be present." No, Mr. Harkness, I was not invited to be present; there is no question of " if as to my honesty in the matter." I venture to think my actions during the last five years have proved that. If not, lam sure nothing I can say will do so. Mr. Harkness next says I preferred discussing the matter in a meeting confined to shareholders in a freezing company, many of whom are not directly interested in the dairy industry. Well, whose fault is that? Afeury of the present directors in the Freezing Company spent considerable time and money in visiting the country districts trying to induce those directly interested to take up the whole of the shares, but failed, and had to Jail back on New Plymouth residents, who nobly responded; otherwise, the works could not have been erected. I now come to a personal matter. Mr. Harkness says I have no love for the Association, thereby inferring I would work against their interest. The remark is both ungenerous and unjust. I have always assisted the Association when possible to do so, and when difficulties have arisen Mr. Beattie (Secretary of Dairy Association in Wellington) and myself have worked together to surmount them, and lam sure it is my wish and the wish of the whole of the directors of the Freezing Company that we should continue to do so.—l am, etc., J. B. Cokneti.

LIQUOR TRAFFIC IN THE KING COUNTRY. TO THE EDITOR, Sib, —Mr, Glegg denies the correctness if my statistics. It is an easy matter to deny. / challenge him to wove them wrong. In favour of State control, he says "if the principle of private profit was eliminated, excess and irregularities could be safe-guarded against much more effectively than with st IE interest as a mighty temptation to push the trade to the utmost," etc. Perhaps the best illustration of the sale of liquor, with the principle of salf-interest eliminated, is to be found in the military canteen. The canteen is a part of the regimental institute, the other departments being grocery, I

coffee-room and recreation room. The institute is managed by a committee of officers, with a sab-committee of noncommissioned officers to assist in internal management under the superintendence of the committee. The salesman and his assistants are paid a fixed salary, and have no interest in the sale of drink. The profits are appropriated to regimental purposes. Formerly, the canteen was a mere public house, and the profits went to the contractor. Lord Roberts, who has done so much to improve the regimental institutes in Indie, and General Burnett, who has paid great attention to the working of the canteens in the Old Land, agree that the change has been most beneficial, Other agencies have been at work, Educational, religious, and temperance work have done a great deal. On the other hand, the experience of the canteens shows

very clearly some of the difficulties in connection with this system. Lord Roberts says success depends on how far the committee are influenced by the manager and accountant. Though the manager has no interest in the sales, yet the appointment is considered a lucrative one, and profits depend largely upon the astuteness of the committee or the honesty of the manager. General Burnett says it is very difficult to prevent managers having an interest in sales. All sorts of precautions have had to be taken by means of locked . tills, payment by tokens, etc. It is

also a notorious fact that the manager used to get what are politely termed "commissions" from the brewers. All this under military discipline, Is municipal or State control likely to be nearly as stringent or effective? The most stringent regulations have to be made in connection with the army canteens to prevent fraud and malpractices. I fancy our brewers would I bail with delight the introduction of a I system of State control of the liquor traffic in the King Country, Perhaps Mr. Glegg may deny the above,—l am, etc., Saml. J. Seevell,

THE TONGACQE'UTUEOAD. ,a».HIB EHTOB..y;. ;: \ Sir, —Your, own correspondent from ToDgaiooratu is evidently in a very bad~wayr first"" of iDg a mistake that the, road was washed thought it ought to have been, washed away. This shows, the pliability of ! ! ,rTourOwp. u In; reference to the flooding of this portion of the Mimi Koad, I hare made careful inquiries-frcm settlers living near this'portion of the road. Qns mjpx informs me that he .has walked owr thiaroad. every day to work for the last six months,- He-says that the fffttS? only oralis tlsa. yqad J E three ',?■.'>•. ir.^Ljfi' 1 ' li'J.t'-^.'-;J ■'•'ti "• "Tr-W

places, and he could walk, amoss these places without getting his feet wet. " Your Own " has evidently misk.kjn the river for the road and ridden down the river. That is the only way that I can account for the water being up to the horse's giitb, I can inform him (which he could have found out for himself if he had enquired) that the Government has already the timber sawn to place flood-gates at these three points, which the Engineer considers will prevent future flooding, I would be the last one to advocate metalling a read which is Bubjeet to. be flooded,

I should advise " Your Own " to write about the roads at Tongaporutu, which he may kno*r something about, for he evidently knows nothing abous this road,—l am, etc., Uetjti Road.