The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 15, 1901. THE GRADING PORT QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 73, 15 April 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 15, 1901. THE GRADING PORT QUESTION.

The question of establishing a second • grading pert for dairy produce in Taranaki is one deserving the cirefal consideration of the whole ef the dairy , farmers ef the west eoist of the North Island. In dealing; with the question, ws de 'so with considerable hesitation, 1 because our motives are bound to be L Misconstrued by thqse who are making use ef the prejudices ef the fernisr i against the New Plymouth harbour to further their own ends. We I Id no | brief fross the Mew Plymouth Harbour I Board, but should bo,false to the true interests ef the dairying industry did W9 f *ij to point out the danger of the course nsw being taken to establish a second grading port ,©n this coast. Our desire is to be fair to all pwts of the > district, but above all to see that the welfare of the great industry that is so '. important to us all, is not injured by those working in other interests. When the Government grading was first established dairy produce was graded at eeth Waitara and New Plymouth, but it was soon found sat the interest ef the industry was host cnajjerved by dealing with the whole of tbe ,dajry produce at one port. The result was .tjbjjt't th/» Taranaki Freezing Works at Meteroa faacami a big cencsrn and the dairy farmer' soon realised that those who bad the control ef these works were making large profits which it was folt should go in to

hjs own pockets. The National Dairy Aesocfetion took the matter up and the result of lengthy negotiatioßg, conducted with considerable sklil on Jibe pvt of the executive of the Dairy Association, was that arrangements were made fer the woks b*ing taken ever by tke Associated Dairy Cempanits. Up to this point everything proceeded with perfsct harmony and unity on the part of the dairy farmers, but at tkis stage certain persons at Patea and Hawera, who saw a chance ef making uie of the dairy farmer in the interests ef t tks develepuent ef the port atPatea, seize 4 the opportunity to urge the establishment of a, grading p»rt tWe and the erection of freezing werks, in fact duplicating, on a small soale, what had been so suceeusfully done at New Plymeuth. We must confess to a great deal of sympathy with the desire to derelops the part at Patea, and believe that it will follow the prosperity of the district as a matter of course; but the present propssal is, we f<?ar, ealenlatisd to jojure ioete»d ef premetiDg the best interest of the dairy industry. The boat proof ef %'s is to be found in the fact that the idea of the ansftciated dairy factories combining to secure the Moturoa Freezing Works, and controls the shipment of dairy produce there, eminated from the leaders of the Dairy Association, men who Lave bo interest in New Plymouth or its harbour, and it was oaly accomplished by a determination on the part j ef the Dairy Association to erect works •f its own if it could not purchase the

- - existing works. Their desire ana | determination was to gat the business , of the Association out of the hands of capi'alists and as far as possible secure for the dairy farmer the largest possible price for his prod uca. The whole mo vn mant was orig'nated for and ho Dairy Companies. At Patea, on thi othur band, the movement to establish (vorksthere was originated by those not 'lirectly connected with the dairy farmers md means placing the industry at thai en J of the district at least, in tte ban(J> and under the foot of capitalists. Capi talieta are to find the money to erect works and steamers are to be foucd on a, guarantee which really plaoes tht dairy industry in the very potion from whieh the Dairy Association is working to release it. At meetiags of shareholders of dairy companies they an i being told by advocates ef the Paten ichemo that the Dairy Association's propesal is a deep kid scheme to involve the settlers in a scheme of hsrbou> i improvements at New Plymouth. Yet strange te say not one public man at Hew Plymouth has lifted his liktl finger to forward the scheme and Ne« Plymouth shareholders of the Freezing Works are opposed to selling them, At Patea on the other hand, we find the Mayor of Patea, with two local public raen, one the Chairman of the Patea Harbour Board, and the Mayoi^of

Flawera, all deputationising the Government in support of tbe Pataa pro posal. What would have been thought of the Mayor of New Plymouth und other local public men if thej had taken similar action. Dairy farmers at Patea and Waverley cannot see apparently that their_ welfare is only a secondary consideration, In our last issue it was stated that the Government had agreed to Patea being proclaimed a grading port, and at n meeti»n of representatives of dairy companies held at Stratford on Thursday the representative of the Wavoiley Oeoipany stated that Patea was to he proclaimed at onee, We find this is no!; the case, and we are informed on geod authority that the Minister imposed conditions which are to the effect, not less than ten companiis must combine and erect works costing JJ5.000 and be prepared to ship 1000 tons of butter. Tarnbull and Go., ef Wellington, who has offered to find a suitable steamer for the river, also demands b guarantee of 1000 tans of butter tnd 850 tons of cheese yearly. Nothing is further from our wish than any desiro to block the development of Patea, but wo consider if works are to be built there it should be done by the Dairy Af>ssc ; ation, because it is very much bet-1 terfor the whole of the dairy companies to unite in the [matter ef fracziiag and shipping dairy produce than to split up into sections. Union is strength in dairying set in other things. If works, therefore, are desirable at Patea, tbe wisdom of which, far reasons previeusly 1 pointed out, we doubt they slwuld be built by and be under the control of tbe Dairy i Association. Any other course is un- ■ wise, expensive, and tend; to defeat 1 the principal objeet for which the ' Dairy Association was formed, viz, to combine for the protection of the dairy , farmer and secure him every possible benefit from his industry.