The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MAY 19. TARANAKI'S EXPORT TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 95, 19 May 1909, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MAY 19. TARANAKI'S EXPORT TRADE.

j lo those who contuud that years must' _elapse before the trade offering would | warrant laranaki (securing direct export labilities hv Home liners at Moturoa, we would advise a careful perusal of the foieign exports of the province during the past year. From the li«ura> now , available for the y-oa r ending 31st Jklaroli ( last, it will be seen that Tarauaki im.s produced and sen! oversvut- produce to »' the value of nearly one million and a

S lialf sti;rli "g- Admittedly the trade is' Hjat present exported through three ports Hj . —Waitara, New Plymouth ami Patea— H but in only one case, that of Waitara, H is there direct loading to Home-going EI bottoms. Of the total value of our Rj foreign exports, therefore, only oneH fourth enjoys the advantages—but even I in that ease with the disadvantage of an open roadstead—of direct loading, leaving exports of the value, of over £1,000,000 accounted for in transhipment at Wellington, New Plymouth accounting for £520,000 of that amount. Compared with other ports in New ZcaI land enjoying r egul'ir deep-sea communication, it will be found that Taranaki's present available cargo (were it concentrated at Moturoa) approximates \vr,\ JH closely to the exports' of most of them, E|| Duncdiii, for instance, the principal out|j| let for Otago produce, exports roughly M to the value of £1,300,000; Bluff m £1.200,000; Timaru £1,200,000; and m Napier £1,800,000. Our contention is, i available, no amount of wire-pulling iag cargo at .Moturoa. Much less likely will such be the ease two years hence, liv which time we Miwe there will nave

been a great expansion in th L . volume and value of Tarauaki's production. The steady opening up of back country, and tilt' pushing inland „f the east railway will lead to suiili an expansion of our wool and mutton exports as few at present realise. The raising of fat stock' ut the moment is only regulated In- the capacity of the Waitara freezing Works, but given au additional and handy market for their fat stock, the back country would immediately respond, aud the movement now .being initiated for the formation of a co-opera-tive freezing works at -Moluron should meet with hearty support from the fii rmers. The project, in which the future of the port is intimately interested, should, if successfully launched uow| reach its producing stage practically at till* same time as the harbor will be ready to accommodate Home-going steamers. The value of Taramiki's frozen beef exports during the past year was .IM 71512, hides and skins £33,003, frozen lamb and mutton £83,870, tallow £32,11(10. ami wool £1 12,0110. Admittedly .but a small proportion of these items went from Moturoa, but iliat the proportion would be materially increased were ocean liners loading n't the local wharves admits of no doubt. Approximately the butter and cheese exported from the province during the past year was valued at .CI.OOO.IJDO. mid we believe that HO per cent of that trade will ultimately pass' through New Plymouth, providing railway transit aud freights are brought more into conformity with the requirements of the industry. There is another and important avenue of trade open to our harbor, and one that in our opinion should have long ago been developed. The coastal trade, extending to Patea on the South and Raglan on the North, lias been almost entirely neglected by New Plymouth in the past, but with the altered prospective conditions brought about by the making of a deep-sea liarlior, the only one on the whole of the West Coast of New Zealand, at New I'lymouth, it is one of the first essentials' to its success that its coastwise trade, collecting and distributing, should .be fostered. At the present moment, practically the whole of this valuable and growing trade is in the hands of Auckland and Wellington merchants and shipping. Its diversion to its natural geographical centre, at New Plymouth, is entirely a matter for local enterprise, and we believe the time is ripe to consider the question of forming a local shipping company for that purpose. Yearn ago, we Slave been informed, when the idea, was mooted, it was pooh-poohed :by leading business men. but it is not too Jate. even now to recover that which has been lost'by their short-sightedness. Every effort of legitimate enterprise should be exerted by the mercantile community, and the producers, to secure for themselves, and the province, the proceeds of the trade of the future that rightly belongs to themselves, but it should lie. realised that the period of inaction may easily be sull'cred too long. I