OUR STAPLE INDUSTRIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 211, 15 December 1910, Page 3

OUR STAPLE INDUSTRIES.

RURAL NEW ZEALAND UNDER REVIEW. No. 8. By R. J. Eames. (All Rights Reserved.) TARANAKI: THE PROVINCE PROLIFIC. THE TRIUMPH OF CO-OPERATION. AVlien we examine the extent of the productive activities which co-operation has made possible the "pull-together" system can only be regarded as an industrial triumph. The dairy produce now manufactured under proprietary jurisdiction is inconsiderable. Last year something over 300 tons of cheese and 48 tons of butter were so made, whereas co-operation accounted for 10,930 tons of cheese, and 6,018 tons of butter, to the total value (as appearing on the companies' balance-sheets) of £1,229,501. This sum was won by 3089 suppliers—an average of about £398 each per annum. Apart from the money individually invested in land, buildings, machinery and herds, co-operation in Taranaki represents: Factory Buildings £102,470 Factory Machinery £123,792 Egmont Box Co., (buildings, rights and plant) £14,257 West Coast Refrigerating Co. £9,738 Taranaki Producers Co £12,666 Steamer £9,000 Total £271,923 Even this sum does not account for all the assets of the companies. No record has been taken of factory requisites, stock on hand, co-operative stores, and investments of that, kind. 'But enough has been shown to demonstrate the big financial undertakings which have been made possible through cooperation in < dairy manufactures. EXPANSION OF THE INDUSTRY. The great expansion of the industry may be shown in several ways. Take the tonnage of butter and cheese handled at Patea by the West Coast Refrigerating Company: ,

gross tons 1901-02 '1791 1902-03 3000 1903-04 4512 1904-05 3750 1905-06 5158 1906-07 7195 1907-08 7836 1908-09 8811 1909-10 10,670 At the Other end of the district the Taranaki Producers Freezing Works .Co, operates. Here is further evidence of progress: 1903 1910 Boxes Butter 152,281 184,530 Cases Cheese 14,496 52,53s

Or, take the boxes and cases made by the Egmont Box Co: For the. year; ended June 30, 1903, 1-7,010 cheese cases and 116,693 butter boxes were turned out; for tlie year ended June cheese cases and 211,488 butter boxes was the recor<}.. This season, on account of important factories beginning cheesemaking later in the year, there will be more butter boxes and fewer cheese cases. THE BIGGER COMPANIES. - Kaupokonui has the honor of being the biggest company in Taranaki, and other concerns handling over £30,000 worth a year are:— Kaupokonui £134,660 T. L. Joll Co £118,759 Eltham £94,158 Stratford £68,913 Midhirst £57,669 Mangatoki £55,000 Hawera . £53,715 Mangorei ' £41,492 Moa £41,312 Riverdale £37,500 Kaponga ..... £33,000 FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY.

In these articles I trying to draw the coloring with a broad brush. v Ifspace permitted one might show the great progress being made in every department of rural New Zealand. But we must be content with the outstanding features of each province. And dairying is indisputably Taranajci's chief activity. Still at both ends of the province there are freezing and canning works, the outputs from which demonstrate the fact that the breeding of carcase cattle and ; sheep, still occupies a considerable amount, of time and attention. In another place, and in a summary of New Zealand's production, it is the intention to collectively deal with this aspect of farming industry.

THE DISTRICT'S POSSIBILITIES,

Year in and year out the seasons have proved very safe in Taranaki. If one may judge by the richness of grass which, unmanured, has furnished abundant feed for 25 years, the future may4)i anticipated witfi every confidence. Although the produce being taken off the land is so great the farming methods as yet are quite elemental. Even on the richest spots the farmers have been content merely to graze, not to farm. Of course, the* advancing prices of land are now making closer farming a necessity; the plough and the ensilage pit are being I requisitioned. As the land is being taKen up in smaller areas it naturally follows that the corners * heretofore untouched are coming under cultivation. In the bush country new areas are constantly being broken in, and as the land is cleared sheep and dry cattle make room for the dairy cow. Last year the cooperative companies dealt with something like five hundred and forty million pounds of milk: Who will say that that quantity will not be doubled in the next ten rears? During recent visits to the

factories it has been ascertained tliat on almost every hand increased supplies are being recorded. At Riverdale (an oldsettled centre) there were being received

from 800 to 1000 gallons more than on the corresponding day last season. Moa was turning out 71 boxes of butter a day as against 55 last year. Whenuakura, which made 98 tons of butter in 1909-10, has a lot of new land in and expects to practically double its output this year. 'There are only a few factories which <lo not expect to exceed last season's output; Of course, the expectations will depend for their realisation upon the weather conditions. Taking Taranaki as a whole the outlook for the future is bright in-

deed. The increased value of land cer'tainly means that the days of easy indifference are ended. From now onwards —and especially where farmers buy into the highest-priced land—fortune will not stand "waiting at the doors of the stay-, a-beds. Those who push into the hinterland. and endure the toiling and the sorrowing of pioneering, may hope for that ultimate rejoicing—an "unearned" increment. It is" a glad district. where there is an atmosphere of confidence in Taranaki, the Province Prolific.