THE GRADING PORT QUESTION.

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

THE GRADING PORT QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir.—ln your leading article of Monday, dealing with the gradiag port question, there fire one or two statements that are hardly correct. No doubt they were published linger a misapprehensien as to the true facts of the ease, and therefore I know that with your proverbial fairness, you will find space for the corrections, Ido not for a moment doubt the sincerity of yeur coßviction that another grading port is not desirable, but I cannot agree wiiih you that it is to the interest? of the producers of Southern Taranaki and Northern Wellington to pay a large amount annually in railage for the privilege of shipping the produce through the Moturea. Works. This, of course, is apart from the objection I belli eve is riieed to the terms of purchase

ef the works. Reverting to your ' leader you say in plain terms that capitalists are to find the money for erection of the works and that the industry will be dominated by them. This is quite untrue. The Company already formed to build works at Patea is composed solely of dairy factory companies, who are to be levied on their output in exactly the same manner as is proposed in connection with the Motnroa Company. Not a penny of

outside capital is to be employed. No outsider beyond the writer of this letter has taken a prominent part in originating the scheme, and I have only dona so on the ground that it was my duty to paint out the injustice under which the southern producers were suffering in th,e way of unnecessary railage charges. Certainly I have no financial interest in the concern—l wish I had. According to your leader also, I have the hnnor of " Mayor of Patea " thrust U pon me. That I must decline, for I am only a mere country newspaper proprietor, with no axe to grind except the benefit of the dairy industry, in which I have not twopence, though if the Mayor had taken my placJ he would have been just as disinterested and his anion quite as justifiable. You aleo lay particular stress on tbe\ consideration that tho works should be under the control of the Association. I may say authoritatively that the southern producers would be only too happy to fall in with your suggestion, provided they had not to contribute more than their quota aa represented by the cost ©f the works at Patea. This was disl inctly pointed out at the first mee'ing and holds good yet, but if £SOOO will suffice for up-to-date works at Patea, in the Patea Station yard and abutting on the river, surely ; it is natural to object to being unequally yoked to a project involving tho purchase of elaborate works at a cost of some £15,000 with 2s 6d, a ton

railage between, them and the breakwater, to say nothing of the 2s a ton wharfage as against Is at Patea. I wish I had the time to reply to your remarks at length but I have not, but I think you will recognise that Patea has the business-end of the argument on this matter, anyhow,—l am, etc., J. F. Holloway. Patfa, 15th April.