DAIRYING IN TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 30, 5 February 1902, Page 2

DAIRYING IN TARANAKI.

♦ MR R. COOK IKTERVIEWED. When in Wellington last Saturday, Mr Richard Cock called at the 'Times Office, and his answers to questions oscapy nearly a column and a-quarter in Monday's iwtue of that paper. He dealt at some length with the oft disprove charge thai the dairy farmer! in ke " vhite slaves " of their children. " I visit," said Mr Cock, "so many of the farms and am travelling go much about the district that I have ample opportunities of noticing these things, and I ean say that the children of Taranaki are as happy, as healthy, as alert and intelligent as those of any p»rt of the colony "; he added that the people engaged in the industry were es happy as any in tbe colony. He instanced the case of a mother and three daughters drawing a cheque for £7O for a month's milk from 116 cows, as showing what a family could do when working on shares, He railed a serious word of warning at the danger ahead through the marvellously rapid spread of noxious weeds, suoh at blackberry and ragwort, and be ex< pressed a conviction that unless this ia s'opped tbe weeds will drive settler* out of the district. He staged that local bsards could not be trusted to get rid' of tbe w*eds. [This duty is placed on the Government Stock Inspector] and strong as well as prompt me mure* were necessary. He then pointed out the necessity of systematically breaking up and replacing pasi urrs -a course which the drown Dairy C wpmy (which, he said, bad 1000 cows of iu own in milk) made a compulsory condition with the farmers sharing profits with it, thus ensuring sufficient winter feed for dry oowa. Incompetent bulls going the round of the auction Kaleyards was another matter which he considered required Goveromentsupervision with a view to suppression. He referred to the steps taken of late to improve dairy cows in the direction of,* securing moderate eaters and givurs of" iich milk. As «vi<lene« of the prosperity of the industry, Mr dock stated the price of land in tbe suburbs of New Plymouth had doubled in the last five years, and people who used to 01m* into town in bullock drays, now drive in to look round in smart vehicles * drawn by horses in silver-plated harness. Finally, Mr Cock had something to say on the question of secondary education, and though he considers the New Plymouth High Schools fwe only know.of one] are very good as far as thoy go, he is emphatic on the necessity of their being provided with boarding accommodation, as at present settlers outside the town have to sani their children to Nelson and other places to receive higher education.