The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1901. THE GRADING PORT QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 75, 17 April 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1901. THE GRADING PORT QUESTION.

In another cslumn appears a letter from Mr. J. F. Holloway in reply to our remarks oa the grading port question. Mr. Holloway is to be commended for the able and effective manner in which he has en this, and I other occasions, handled this question. We heartily receprecate his remarks about the linearity of our convictions, {and are prepared to credit him with acting sincerely in what he believes to be the best interests of the dairy industry at his end oi the district. We cannot, however, agree with his statement that he is the enly outsider who his taken part in originating the scheme, feeing that his own paper, only a day or two age, stated that Mr. Major (Mayor of Hawera) and Mr. McKenna, of Patea, formed members of the deputation that have just interviewed the Minister in Wellington. We have, ourselves, for years pointed out tbe injustice, not only southern, but the whole of the Taranaki preucers were suffering by reason of unnecessary railway charges, but would point out that the remedy appeared to us to lie in the course taken by the Dairy Association, viz., to agitate for & uniform tariff. With regard to the possibility of erecting suitable works at Patea for .£SOOO and the abjection to the value placed on the works at Moturoa, we may say that grave denbts have been expressed by competent persons at the possibility of erecting suitable works for such a sum, and that the value placed upon the works at Moturoa (,£IS,OPO) is that of the] Dairy Association's own valuer.! These works are new and up-to-date in every sence of the term, and are in themselves proof 'of the enormous interests at state, when, within the last year or two. the industry has required and built up such large and valuable works. As regards the southern factories being unequally yoked, thi« caßnot be the case when the basis of the Union is that each factory pays enly in proportion te its output. In ether words receives in proportion to what it gives. In referring to the alleged railway charge of 2s 6d a ton between the Meturoa works and the breakwater, our correspondent is evidently misinformed as the actual charge in Is 6d. Even this however, is too high, The question is not, however, these charges, which are vexations and in many cases unequal and absurd, because they are open to change. The real question is more far reaching than this and is that of the true co-opera-tion of the dairy fanners. For years we have been pointing out that the unhappy want ef unity is the chief stumbling block to the dairy farmer receiving the fullest benefit from his industry, It is the old story of the bundle of sticks. Taken singly the dairy farmer is weak as water, but united strong enough to insist on the compliance with his demands. We have always contended that united the dairy farmers of New Zealand can control railway and sea freights and ib many other ways reduce

the chargas that go m far to diminish 1 the sum whieh ultimately finds its way I into the pockets of the farmer. When it is considered what has been done by the snn.il measure of union which prevails it is amazing how easily dairy farmers are prevented from bringing about that unien which must ultimately make the dairy farmer master of the situation. We have said nothing about the increased cost of management in the case of two sets of works, of the questionable wisdom of sinking money in works at Patea if a uniform railway tariff is grafted, or of the additional freight charges batween Patea and Wellington, of the lass causid by two gradings being shipped from Taranaki | instead of one. and of many other points which we might dwell upon, which will go to increase the cost and the risk of placing our dairy produce on the Home market under the circumstances contemplated at Patea.